[save] Health Care on the Cheap
Most of us don’t have time to get sick. Taking time away from work and family responsibilities isn’t an option for many. And while Groundhog Day may tell us winter is on the way out, being a target for both seasonal and non-seasonal illnesses never lets up.
Everyone knows that getting sick sucks. Worse, everyone knows that paying for getting sick sucks. Yes, there are assistance programs out there, but many of them seem to be open to only a certain income bracket or only available to single-parent families or individuals with special needs. Fortunately, there are many options for low-cost medical and dental care in Wichita.
Project Access: Via Christi offers this patient assistance program to help uninsured or underinsured patients get donated services for a condition until that condition is resolved. Basically, they donate all testing (lab, X-ray) and hospital services, and then they coordinate care until the patient is healed.
Community Clinics: The Sedgwick County Health Department website provides comprehensive lists of community health clinics (such as Healthy Options and GraceMed), H1N1 vaccine clinics and dates, and Health Access and Health Equity information. They also have resources on education, how to quit smoking, and even some healthy recipes.
See to Learn: This website lists optometrists who offer free or reduced-cost vision checks. The website infers that this is for kids; however, adults are often able to find success as well. Always ask when you call the office.
Kansas Dental Association: A directory of providers that offer financial assistance or reduced-cost care.
WSU Student Health Services: If you’re a student, I recommend the walk-in clinic for minor issues like sinus infections or the flu. A nurse-practitioner will generally see you, but you can schedule time with a doctor too. The Dental Hygiene department also offers free teeth cleanings and is also open to the public.
I hope this list helps you find a service you may have not known about before, but if you’ve got a local health care secret – let me know!
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I don’t have dental insurance, so I’ve had experience with a couple of the dental clinics on this list. I liked GraceMed a lot, but it’s virtually impossible to get them on the phone, so scheduling a followup appointment became problematic. Healthy Options is more accessible, but kind of pricey (if you don’t qualify for the income-based discount) and located in a decrepit building in a decrepit part of town. And I turned down getting a cleaning at WSU because I was told it would take three hours.
Sigh. I can has clean teeth? But, at least there are options.
My cousin, who has health insurance, just spent $300 on medicine for her and her kids when they got the stomach flu and bronchitis. I can’t imagine the cost if they didn’t have insurance.
We had to change our kids’ dentist because they wanted $200 just to secure the appointment if it was for treatment (i.e. cavity filling). A normal appointment was still no cost to book and the $200 went toward the cost of the procedure, but as a one income family now, we just couldn’t swing it and don’t want to delay care because of cost. We hated to leave because we LOVED that dentist, but we just couldn’t do it.
I recently went to one of the Walgreens Take Care clinics. I have insurance, but they don’t accept it; even so, the visit (which was simple but lengthy) was only $75. I know, it feels wierd to even write “only” $75, but for a qualified nurse practitioner to see me for an ear infection on a Sunday morning? I would have given that ear just to make the pain stop! Add in the immediately-available $4 prescription, and I think it was a bargain.
I work for AMS Laboratory, who offers a Consumer Direct testing program. Doctor’s orders are not required for many lab tests, and you don’t pay anything for an office visit when you go direct to the lab. You get the lab report, and we send it to your doctor, if you want. Flyers are available that list the tests available and pricing.
My docs have called in prescriptions based on the tests without having an appointment, for things like strep throat or other infections, or adjusting dosages of prescription medications. Check with your own doctor, because not all will let you bypass their own labs.
Andrea-and everyone else- if your doctor prescribes meds for you or your children and you find them cost prohibitive, don’t hesitate to tell the physician that! He or she may not have any idea how expensive the medicine is. Also, SHOP AROUND. I can’t emphasize this enough. Have a Sam’s membership? Get your prescriptions there! With or without insurance, it’s likely to be cheaper. Don’t assume your prescription coverage works like your regular health ins. Often, you pay a percentage: so if the pharmacy charges more, you pay more. If you are on a fixed co-pay, say $10 for generics and more for name brands, speak up and ask your doctor if there are generic meds that are as effective as the name brand they are prescribing. If they have a legit reason for wanting you to take the high dollar med, then they will tell you. If it is just their “go to” brand, then maybe you are the person who should give them a paradigm shift!
Remember, every pharmaceutical company offers programs for people who are truly unable to afford their prescriptions. Usually these are aimed at patients with no rx coverage, but more and more there are programs for laid off workers or those who’ve had hours cut and don’t qualify for ins anymore.
The medicine that (literally) keeps me going is nearly $300 a month. We have negligible prescription coverage, but I was offered a discount card from the drug company that’s good for 12 months. After processed through both “insurances”, I pay $180 or so. While that’s still a huge bite from my budget (and the reason we only have ONE car payment), this medicine works, so I’m willing to suck it up and do it. You can bet I’m holding my breath for the day it goes generic though!
I also just got an email with this info:
“I just read your blog post about low-cost health care. One you missed – Planned Parenthood! They use a sliding fee scale based on household income and do annual well-woman checks (PAPs and all!), STI testing/treatment (for men and women), pregnancy tests, colposcopy if needed, and and the big one – contraception (including 5 for $1 condoms!).”
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