Those who are medically uninsured may fear mounting medical bills more than becoming ill. The lack of medical insurance and the high cost of medical care can make individuals feel like doors to health and well-being are closed to them. In response, private organizations and government programs help bridge the gap between health care resources and the medically uninsured.
Prescription Assistance
Created by private foundations and pharmaceutical companies, prescription assistance programs provide free medications to those who are medically uninsured and unable to pay for their own medicine. If you do not have health insurance, you must fill out and submit an application provided by pharmaceutical company for each medication you wish to receive, meet income guidelines and have a doctor fill out and submit information regarding the prescription. An individual may find prescription assistance applications on a pharmaceutical company's website, at a pharmacy or doctor's office.
Some pharmacies offer discounts to those who join their prescription savings clubs; typically, there is an annual fee to join. If a prescription program is not available for a certain drug and the pharmacy does not offer it as a generic drug, joining a pharmacy's prescription program may be a way to keep prescription costs low.
State Health Insurance
Federally funded and managed by each state individually, Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income families for little to no monthly premiums. Medicaid helps cover the cost of doctor visits, prescription drugs, health screenings, dental care, immunizations and hospital stays. If the adults in a home are ineligible for Medicaid, uninsured children under the age of 18 in the home can still receive health benefits through the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.
Community Health Clinics
Providing a safety net for the medically uninsured, community health centers provide wide-ranging, culturally appropriate health care services regardless of a patient's ability to pay. The goal of these clinics is to increase access to health care to underserved populations to ease the burden on hospital emergency rooms, which are often the only alternative for an uninsured individual to receive medical attention. Community health clinics assist the homeless, migrant workers, those in public housing and individuals with chronic conditions who cannot afford to seek traditional forms of medical treatment.
Assistance for Specific Conditions
Those diagnosed with a rare or serious condition may find financial resources through patient assistance programs. These programs are often disease-specific, and help uninsured individuals have access to health care they could not afford otherwise. The types of assistance available to those with rare or serious conditions include medical care funds, travel and lodging, access to investigational drugs and emergency access to drugs or medical products in short supply.
Tags: health care, medically uninsured, access health, access health care, assistance programs, fill submit, medical care
