Help, please...info needed for person with no health insurance...

I know a woman who does not receive health insurance from her job. She makes too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not nearly enough to pay for her own health insurance. She REALLY NEEDS insurance--she is extremely obese and has all the accompanying health risks.

Wasn't there a law passed for the in-between people? I remember reading something about it. Can anyone point me to some information I can pass along to her?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Cat

For children there is CHIP, but that doesn't cover adults. Is there anything like General Assistance which includes Medicaid?

For Social Security, she'd have to be disabled and unable to work. If that's the case, applying for SSI or RSDI disability might help.

The only other option is county indigent health care, unfortunately. :-(

The post below got me thinking...does she have children of her own? If so, if she has unpaid medical bills, she can spend down to the Medicaid income limits. It's sort of like a deductible in that your bills have to exceed that spend down amount, but Medicaid picks up the rest...

She is not disabled, although she is severely restricted in what she can do because of her weight and accompanying muscle pain.

Cat

If you're lucky enough to be in Hawaii, there's help.

In all other states, the only help for those who make too much for Medicaid but not enough for insurance is CHIPS, which covers only their children.

I know about this because a chronic health condition has made me uninsurable at any rate I could possibly afford. There is no help out there. She has a choice, spend down to Medicaid levels and go on disability, or do without.

This is our healthcare system.

That is terrible. I'm sorry to here that has happened to you. Thanks for the information. All my best,

Cat

or a walk-in place? They're usually cheaper and can help her with day-to-day mgmt if she has several chronic problems.

Sorry, it'll be out of pocket. But it's a hell of a lot better than getting sick then paying for a whopper of an in-hospital bill. I'm still paying for the 12 hours I spent in the ER in June. :grr:

But I will suggest the clinic to her. Thank you.

Cat

but our situation... My husband has been retired for almost 1 year. He was a physician, made damn good money. Because we both have a pre existing condition and because of the Bush* economy(we lost about 1/2 of our savings) we can't afford health insurance either. OK, the only thing we were able to do was go with a catastrophic policy. It was the only thing we could afford and the deductible is entirely ridiculous however, if you do get really sick you can blow through that very quickly. So, we hope never to meet the deductible but if we do we will be OK. My brothers hospital bill for 1 month was over $100,000.00 and that did not include any of the Doctors fees.

this thread is unbelievably depressing. I can't believe so many of us are in such terrible condition because of that evil bastard squatting in the WH.

She can't even afford the premium on a catastrophic policy, believe it or not. She can barely make her rent.

Thank you for the info, take care of yourselves,

Cat

income. They just dont like you to know. She has to call the places and ask for a financial screening. I just got a client on 100% covered at a local hospital


DDQM

I would refer all of my single adult clients to them when they needed care. All of them have a sliding fee payment plan.

in caledesi's thread about her MS predicament, SeattleDem mentioned that pharm companies often have hardship plans for meds. But, once again, you have to ask for them. And the MD can really go to bat for you on this.

Once she has a steady doc, this is worth investigating.

IF the local hospital is a non-profit (many are) and if they get any kind of tax break (most do) they must have SOME type of charity care program. It may suck, it may only cover people in the lowest of income brackets, but they do have them and they don't like to admit it.

If they say they don't have one, find out why...

If they say you don't qualify ask for the income guidelines in writing.

Ask to see the Community Benefits Statement that they are supposed to do...

Hospital administrators are mostly Rat Bastards. THEY are the ones to be mad at, not the Docs or any of the care providers!

Laura

when I worked in Delaware in a hospital, they treated anyone,regardless of insurance or no, but I don't know how the payment worked.

Cat

All the major ones have them now, especially the non-profits.

Under Hill-Burton, a hospital is required to provide care for a certain percentage of indigent patients.

Since I don't know what state she is in, I can't make more suggestions.

thank you for the info, and any more you can give me.

Cat

My post crossed with yours, but you are discussing the Hill Burton act and that is what mandates a Community Benefits Statement from a hospital.

In some cases local community groups get downright nasty with hospitals who don't make that information available.

Something I did forget to mention in my original post is that no hospital can refuse you treatment if you are uninsured and it is an emergency. They can't turn you away in an emergency. Doctors, however, are viewed as being able to refuse to treat any patient they want to.

Laura

here in california, planned parenthood is now providing basic healthcare services...not just gynecological and family planning.

I am going to have to look into that. Thanks very much, that is interesting!!

Cat

i am in the same situation, but thankfully there are a number of free clinics in the oakland area. good luck to your friend :hi:

If your local PPhood doesn't offer a whole range of services, they would probably work with her to find some place or non-profit that does.

By the way, is this friend registered to vote? She is such a concrete example of how who holds office affects individual lives.