What Can You Do If You Don't Have Enough Money to Afford Insurance?

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average annual cost of health insurance is $13,375 for a family policy purchased through an employer's group plan. The cost is even greater for those who must purchase individual health plans in the private market. The Kaiser Family Foundation also notes that family health insurance premiums rose 131 percent between 1999 and 2009. In addition to the cost of these premiums, policy-holders are also responsible for deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. If you cannot afford health insurance for you and your family, there are a few options that allow you access to affordable health care.

Medicaid

• Medicaid is a federal- and state-funded health care program for low-income families and individuals. Anyone with an income less than the federal poverty standard is eligible for health coverage through Medicaid. Others are also eligible for the program, including low-income pregnant women, families with children and the blind and disabled. Medicaid is available in every U.S. state, but eligibility varies across state lines. To find out if you qualify, contact your state's Medicaid office through the contact information available at CMS.gov.

Health Programs

• If you do not qualify for federal health insurance assistance, you may have some local low-cost health care alternatives. For example, the Vaccines for Children program offers free routine childhood immunizations, regardless of income. Participating providers include many pediatricians, hospitals, clinics, schools and local health departments. Additionally, many communities have non-profit clinics and wellness centers that provide primary care to patients at a price they can afford. Health care prices are based on patient income and are often free. Other options include campus health care clinics at most major universities and over-the-phone care from low-cost services such as Teladoc.

The Affordable Care Act

• In 2010, congress passed The Affordable Care Act, which seeks to extend affordable health care to all Americans by the year 2014. At that time, low- to middle-income individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid will receive a tax credit to help with health insurance premiums purchased on the private market. All Americans will be required to carry health insurance, or else pay an annual fine, which will be the greater of $750 per person or two percent of annual income. Effective January 2014, the law will also make it illegal to deny coverage to any person because of a pre-existing condition.

Non-Profit Assistance

• If you are unsure as to what health insurance options you are eligible for, the Foundation for Health Coverage Education offers assistance by phone and online 24 hours a day, seven day a week. Live operators are available to assist you in finding affordable health coverage in your state, and they can also inform you of your rights under COBRA if you recently lost your job. The foundation also may be able to find benefits you are not aware you are eligible for. For example, if you are under 26 years of age, you qualify as a dependent on your parents' health insurance policy, regardless of whether you live with your parents, are married or are eligible for an employer's health plan. To obtain assistance in finding coverage, call the U.S. Uninsured Hotline at [phone].