According to the U S Labor Department and health care officials, if you're among those who no longer have employer health insurance, here's what you can do to continue addressing your medical situations:
- If you're married your first step should be to check with your spouse's employer to see if you're eligible for health coverage as a family member. Those group plans are normally affordable.
- Check with any associations or professional organizations that you or your spouse may belong to because they sometimes offer group plans.
- After losing your job, if you decide to be self employed, consider getting a partner or hire an employee. It takes just two people to be eligible for group coverage, which is usually the most comprehensive and cost effective coverage option.
- Find your own individual insurance policy. You can find affordable health insurance on your own, but it takes a lot of work and persistence. If you shop around, you might be surprised by what you find, especially if you're healthy. There are many websites that will allow you to compare prices.
- Find a local clinic. If it's not free, it likely charges based on income, so it probably won't charge you more than you can spend at the time. In addition, if you don't need the services of a hospital or doctor's office, take advantage of retail clinics at such places as Wal-Mart and chain drug stores like Walgreens and CVS.
- Look into state and federal programs. In most states, you can get coverage in a high risk pool if you are sick and can't get individual coverage through a private insurer. Call your state department of insurance to see if you're eligible. Medicaid is also a possiblility for those who meet federal guidelines. Contact your state department of social services.
This scenario of not having health insurance can happen to anyone because the economic crisis is taking a toll on many whose coverage is connected to their employment. There are nearly 47 million people in the United States who don't have health insurance, many of whom lost their medical coverage when they lost their jobs.
