11 Ways You Can Get Medical Care for Free
Medical care is an expensive proposition and any price discounts or freebies that come your way should be accepted with a heartfelt “thank you”. This is of particular relevance to you if you cannot afford health insurance or there are certain health issues in your family that are outside the ambit of what your current policy covers. Keep a few things in mind though – the free medical care should not come with riders attached that you may find difficult to manage, your medical records should not be compromised, and the quality of medical care should be good.
Here we present 11 ways you can get medical care for free.
1. Know if a health fair is coming to town – Health fairs are a great place for free basic medication and screening for blood pressure, bone density, heart rate, cholesterol, vision, memory, etc. These health fairs are often themed or directed toward a particular demographic – be they kids, senior citizens, or women. Keep an eye on such an event in local newspapers and online and avail the opportunity.
2. The local chemist or pharmacy will hold a free health checkup a few times a year to keep customers interested. This is a nice opportunity to get screened and gain medical advice for free.
3. Check if you qualify for Medicaid – Medicaid is free or nearly free health aid depending upon your income. Apart from poverty, factors that influence your eligibility for Medicaid include age, pregnancy, disability, blindness, and income.
4. Check with county health departments – County health departments often run multiple free or low-cost health care programs. Check with the department and you may find a medical care program of significance to you, your child, or another family member. Usually these programs have income requirements and you have to demonstrate genuine inability to meet medical care expenses.
5. Religious organizations and non profits – These are two avenues for free medical aid. There is a good chance that your local church organization runs a free medical clinic. These clinics are an opportunity for a lot of people that cannot afford medical insurance.
6. Check the internet – The internet is a great resource for looking up places from where you can get free medical care. Tweak your searches to narrow them down and sign up for news alerts using relevant key phrases.
7. Grant money for health care – Government grant money is made available for various causes, health care being one of them. Hospitals are frequently given substantial grants to be used as per their discretion. Check if your doctor has access to federal- or state-funded grants that are to be used for assisting low-income patients in meeting medical care costs.
8. Free Care Programs at hospitals and clinics – Almost all hospitals run a Free Care Program [PDF]; the application procedure and eligibility may vary. So in case you do not succeed with one hospital, try another.
9. Local medical colleges will often hold free full-body screenings or free dental treatment clinics so that the students can get practical experience and diverse cases to study.
10. Free or partial pay clinics – There are free or partial pay clinics and charitable dispensaries in almost every area. These are open to people that cannot afford medical care because of poverty. Often, they are a valuable resource for medical care for illegal aliens in America.
11. There are institutions that support free medical care for certain categories – the common denominator being an inability to pay for medicines. Laid off workers, single mothers, disabled people, unemployed persons can all find benefactors if they look hard enough.