What To Do When You Can’t Afford Health Coverage
As a parent, if you have children, when you need to take them to the hospital, doctor, or if you have to buy medication, you will find that these costs can quickly and easily pile up (especially if it is more than one child). So, if you do not have money to purchase the top medical insurance policies, due to the high premium costs, there are options to consider, and there are places you can turn to, in order to find the savings you are looking for, and lower rates on prescriptions or doctor visits you have to take the kids to.
Apply for Medicaid
Government aid is always available, especially if you are a lower income family, or if any parent is unemployed. So, when you need insurance for the kids, and are not able to purchase through an employer, or do not have the means to purchase a personal policy, going through government aid, and applying for Medicaid is where you should go. Even if you do not qualify for the full coverage package, you will qualify for something based on financial need, and the inability to pay. So, whether you get minimal, partial, or full coverage, the first step is applying; and, even if it is not full coverage you are approved for, something, and some form of help, is better than nothing.
Go Generic
When choosing medication, the easiest way to save is to go generic. Even with insurance, certain medication brand name prescriptions cost hundreds of dollars, especially if an individual in your family has a particular condition which requires a special form of medication. So, with most pharmacies today, you can get generic prescriptions by asking your doctor to call in the generic, rather than the brand name drugs. This will cost you only a couple dollars for a month long prescription, and refills are just as cheap. So, where you would be paying a cost of a couple hundred dollars each month for certain medications, when you choose to go with the generic brand instead, it is likely to cost you less than ten dollars per month on each prescription now. So, this is likely to be the biggest saving you are going to find as a parent with medical needs and health care, so when a generic is available for a particular medication you or your child has to take, go with it instead of the brand name drug.
Visit Health Clinics First
If you are uninsured, or if you only have partial coverage, rather than go in to the emergency room, or go to a pricey doctor, you may want to consider going in to a local clinic first. You will find that they are staffed with doctors who are just as capable of providing quality care, yet you are going to pay a fraction of the cost, and in many cases, if you file a form that you are coming in due to the inability to pay, in many instances you are not going to be paying anything out of pocket for these clinics. If you do not have the means to pay, they will pay the bill for you, or write it off in to much smaller monthly payments, so that you can pay it off over time.
Medical insurance is a must for children. So, if you can’t afford it, or if you need help in paying for it, and other medical necessities, making sure you know where to turn, and where to go for savings, are things you must consider as a parent. So, keeping these tips in mind will help you save, when your child needs medical attention.
Stella Floyd is a self employed business woman and knows how expensive health care is. She used http://www.healthinsurancequotes.org to find affordable rates for her family. She has great coverage with a low rate. Stella enjoys reading, spending time with her family and hiking.