This article will tell you what to do when you can’t afford medical treatment and how to get inexpensive drugs, medical & hospital treatment.
Healthcare Plans
Find an affordable healthcare plan: Health Plan Navigators – CMS.gov
If you need to see a doctor or go to a hospital and you do not have any medical insurance, you can apply for Medicaid if you qualify. Medicaid will pay bills for a short period of time retroactively. The hospital may have an office to help you apply for Medicaid.
If you do not qualify for Medicaid, your hospital ER must treat you, however, you should ask the hospital if they have a clinic. If not, ask which hospital near you has a clinic. Many hospitals have clinics that will charge you a substantially reduced fee schedule, adjusted for your income. Hospital clinics provide inexpensive medical treatment for people who do not have medical insurance and cannot afford to pay full price. I have seen patients charged as little as $5.00 for surgery performed in a hospital clinic. The treatment is performed by the same doctors who treat people with insurance and unlike when I go to a doctor with health insurance, clinic appointments are seen on time!
If you need continuing treatment over a long period of time, you probably should consider obtaining medical insurance. Medical insurance policies may have a pre-existing condition clause of either 6 months or 12 months, which means that the policy will not cover your injuries until after either the 6 or 12 month period has elapsed.
Find out what your medical treatment should cost Healthcare Blue Book is a free consumer guide to help you determine fair prices in your area for healthcare services including surgery, hospital stay, doctor visits, medical tests, and much more.
If You Can’t Afford to Pay for Medical Treatment Already Received
See Medical Insurance Denials, Medical Bill Errors & Hospital Bill Errors
Medical Treatment in Foreign Countries
Bumrungrad Hospital – Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand has been portrayed on 60 minutes as a first-class luxury hospital with the latest equipment and US-trained doctors for 1/8 the cost of treatment in the US.
Bumrungrad Hospital claims to be the largest international private clinic in Asia, and the first hospital in Asia to receive the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA). The JCIA is a division of the American-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the largest accreditor of healthcare organizations in the USA.
More info about Bumrungrad Hospital
What to Do if You Can’t Afford Prescription Drugs
Cost Plus Drugs – Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy provides huge discounts on hundreds of prescription drugs. An example is the $2,502.60 leukemia medication Imatinib which is only $14.40 at Cost Plus Drugs.
Are the most expensive drugs always the best? Not necessarily. AARP has developed this online consumer guide to help you find the most effective and affordable drugs. Read about comparable drugs. Compare their prices. Then consult with your medical provider to choose the right drug for you — at the right price. Lookup a specific drug or look up drugs for your health condition.
Merck has three prescription drug programs:
Merck Patient Assistance Drug Program – provides free Merck drugs when you have no prescription drug insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay for your medicine.
Merck Prescription Drug Discount Program for the Uninsured – provides up to 40% discount on drugs if you do not have insurance, regardless of your age and income. You can apply online or call 1-800-506-3725.
Merck Program for Medicare Enrollees – provides up to 30% discount on drugs.
How To Get Medical Treatment When You Are Injured in an Accident
You may be able to obtain medical treatment on a lien against your accident case. When you get medical treatment on a lien, your personal injury lawyer will pay the doctor at the end of your case from the money you receive.
You can speak either with your personal injury lawyer or your doctor about providing you medical treatment on a lien. If you had an accident, make sure to call a personal injury lawyer in the state where your accident occurred. If you had an accident in New York, call personal injury lawyers in New York.
Medical treatment on a lien is usually available for nonsurgical treatment. When surgery is needed, a lien is only usually available as a combination with cash advance medical funding. For instance, the surgeon may require medical funding for 50% of the surgery cost and will accept the other 50% as a lien on the accident case which will be paid to the surgeon at the end of your case.
If you need to pay 100% of the medical bill in cash, your personal injury lawyer may be able to obtain medical funding as a cash advance on your lawsuit. Lawsuit cash advance companies are well known for providing money to pay personal bills but they also provide money for medical treatment.
If you need surgery and do not have any medical insurance or health insurance to pay for the surgery, a “loan” as a lawsuit cash advance for your medical treatment can be a good option. Typically, this type of medical funding is paid back out of your settlement and you are not responsible to pay anything back if your case loses.
Read this article with all the information you want to know about lawsuit cash advances.