Free or inexpensive health insurance is not readily available, which is why so many Americans are uninsured. Though free or inexpensive health care may be available through the government, insurance options are limited. You may qualify for government-sponsored medical assistance, available for both adults and children, if your income is very low and you cannot afford private insurance. If you cannot afford individual plans, short-term or accident-only coverage is a less expensive alternative.
Instructions
1. Apply for state-sponsored medical assistance. With Medicaid, states offer health insurance plan options to the financially needy. Visit your state's department of insurance website or benefits.gov for a link to your state's Medicaid website. The site will contain information about program eligibility and directions on apply.
2. Go to your state's department of insurance website to determine if your state offers any special limited or ongoing health insurance for low-income residents. For example, Pennsylvania offers adultBasic, a plan funded by the proceeds from a tobacco settlement.
3. Visit the Insure Kids Now website, insurekidsnow.gov, to link you to information about your state's Children Health Insurance Plan. CHIP provides insurance options for children and pregnant women who have too much income to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford individual private insurance. You can also call 877-543-7669 to speak to a representative in your state about CHIP options.
4. Apply for Hill-Burton free or reduced-cost care. About 200 facilities in the U.S. must provide free or reduced-cost care to people in need, under federal law. Call the Hill-Burton hot line at 800-638-0742 for a list of facilities and learn apply for this coverage. You can also go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Health Resources and Services Administration) website, hrsa.gov, for this information.
5. Choose a short-term plan if you need coverage only for less than six months or a catastrophic plan that covers only accident-related treatments and hospitalizations. These plans are less expensive than individual private health insurance but are limited in terms of coverage. Most national carriers offer these plans, or you can visit ehealthinsurance.com to get quotes.
6. Seek care at a federally funded health center. These centers allow you to pay what you can afford, based on income, and do not require insurance to treat you. You can visit one of these health centers for routine checkups or treatment for an illness. To find a health center, use the search tool on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Health Resources and Services Administration) website or call 877-464-4772 for help.
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