About Health Insurance for Individuals with Low Income

It is a cold, hard fact that health insurance is expensive. If you have a low income, coming up with insurance copays and premiums might be nearly impossible. Luckily, options exist for people with low income; unfortunately, not everyone qualifies for coverage and hundreds of thousands of Americans go uninsured. 

Perhaps the most expensive health insurance option to buy is private health insurance. This can be costly, but if you have health problems and need coverage, it might be your only option. Check to see if you qualify for low-income health insurance before trying to find a way to purchase private policy.

One low-income health insurance option is Medicare or Medicaid. The federal and state governments fund these programs. While having a low income is one factor for qualification into these programs, you also usually need to qualify for another reason. For example, if you have a low income and are pregnant, you should be able to get Medicaid assistance from your state for your pregnancy.

Aside from Medicaid, some states, counties and cities offer assistance in obtaining health care for low-income individuals. These programs vary by location and are more common in larger and urban areas. 

Another consideration when searching for affordable healthcare is your prescription drug costs. Many of the aforementioned programs offer prescription coverage, as well. Certain pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies also offer prescription savings programs.

You may also look for doctors that accept sliding scale payments. This means you pay only what you can afford based on your income. This is especially common for mental health providers and less common for general health practitioners.