Get Free or Low-Cost Medical Care
If you do not have health insurance and end up with a medical problem, you're likely to find that the cost of care can drain your savings account and leave with debts that will take years to pay. Follow these suggestions to find resources that can provide you with free or low-cost medical care.
Instructions
1. Apply for Medicaid. Medicaid is a program set up through the Federal government but regulated by states. Each state sets its own guidelines for eligibility. If you need help with medical expenses, the first thing to do is find out if you qualify for Medicaid.
2. Look into Financial Assistance Programs. In addition to Medicaid, the government also offers a medical financial assistance program. If you do not qualify for Medicaid, you might still be eligible for partial help with your bills through this program.
3. Take advantage of grant money. The best way to find out about local grant money for medical expenses is to talk to your doctor. Many doctors have access to state-funded grant money to assist patients who can not afford the treatment they need.
4. Check with your local hospital. Almost all hospitals offer a Free Care program. Each hospital has its own application process and requirements, so if you do not qualify at one hospital, apply at another. Hospital Free Care programs typically cover all hospital expenses and lab expenses for any procedure done at a hospital, including tests run as an outpatient. It doesn't usually cover the doctor's fee.
5. Visit a local clinic. Most health centers have their own programs for free care for eligible patients. Often the guidelines for qualifying are more liberal then they are for Medicaid.
6. Call medical colleges. If you live in an area that has a college which trains doctors and dentists, you can often get low-cost medical care from their students. This gives the doctor or the dentist the opportunity to practice and it keeps your costs down.
7. Talk to your local elementary or secondary school, especially if you live in a rural area. More local schools are allowing town residents to visit the school nurse. This is an outreach program to give back to the community. A school nurse is limited in the medical help she can provide, but this could be of some help.
Tags: grant money, Free Care, help with, low-cost medical, low-cost medical care, medical care, medical expenses
