We've probably all been uninsured at one point or another during our lives, dreading the day we get an abcessed tooth or a horrible flu. Over the years I've made dozens of phone calls and done countless internet searches trying to locate resources for friends, family and other people in need. I've posted links before about drug company patient assistance programs which will often provide low-income patients with free meds.
Here are a few resources I've found or, in the case of toothwoman.net, links which have been compiled by other people with the same goal of consolidating health care access information.
Toothwoman.net; a great state-by-state listings of clinics and dental schools providing free or low cost treatment.
Sight for Students provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children.
NeedyMeds.com is a comprehensive source of information for people who need help with the cost of medicine and other health care expenses. Includes disease-specific info and links to local resources who can assist with paperwork.
Moderators: Since the value of these services is way more than $10, can you move this thread to hot deals? OR Does fatwallet have the ability to mirror a thread so that it can appear in 2 forums?
opmnxtc said: gandhis, why even point this out? sheesh...
I was pointing this out because my gut feel is that people use the hot-deals forum more than the freebies forum esp. because a lot of times freebies are really not that great.
I do not want people to miss out on this great information.
I personally have no insurance to speak of right now so this comes in handy. I am sure a lot of people are either un-insured or underinsured. If even one extra person benefits by having this thread in both forums or in the "more viewed" forum, I think it is worth it.
opmnxtc
Thrifty Member
posted: Oct. 4, 2006 @ 4:14a
i see, it seemed to me you were unnecessarily bringing attention about this to 'others' for nothing.
here's another one for your list (added to the Quick Summary section): VISION USA can provide basic eye health and vision care services free of charge to the many uninsured low-income people and their families who have no other means of obtaining care.
This is a great site by Matthew Lesko, author of those books on how to get free money from the government (the guy in the question mark suits). I think it was started after 9-11 to help victims but there is so much valuable information there, I pass it on to everyone.
Back in the days when I was a poor, starving student I got some dental work done cheaply at the local dental school. I had to have all four wisdom teeth extracted.
It always took longer to go the dental school than a regular dentist, but I could afford the cost.
maggymay
Senior Member
posted: Jan. 29, 2007 @ 9:03p
my son is in dental school, doing his intern now, and he says it does take longer, but you are actually getting better care because you have 2-3 dentist working on you rather than one. All you pay is cost of materials and if you are a relative, get 50% off cost. Bleaching trays and bleach, cheap cheap-- amazing the markup at dental offices LOL !
jtcbr
Member
posted: Jan. 29, 2007 @ 10:46p
Very nice thread OP!
And thanks to all who added input and bumped so I could spot it!
QueenieB, thanks for taking the time to put the list together.
mail2phil
New Member
posted: Feb. 19, 2007 @ 7:11p
QueenieB, thanks for putting this together. I have been doing a lot of research on the same subject for a while now and have not been able to find anything. The nearest I came was finding the Self employed individuals organization that provides Health, Dental and vision with a four to six month waiting period.
Does any one know where I can get dental insurance? I have health but not dental.
Leading Antibiotics are now FREE at your Meijer Pharmacy - No Strings Attached!
http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php
I have been buying my glasses here for about 2 years now, and I am happy. For $20 shipped you can't go wrong. I usualy spurge and get the $75-$80 ones. They would cost me $250-$400 here. You will need a script, but a cheap doc would charge $30-$40 for that.
javacat
Member
posted: Feb. 19, 2007 @ 10:46p
This one is for Michigan only.
Free Clinics...funded in part by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
The Blues believe it’s important for all Michigan residents to have access to health care when they need it. That’s why we award annual grants to clinics that provide free care to Michigan’s underinsured. Through these grants, we currently fund 31 free clinics statewide.
These free clinics provide services like:
* Primary, urgent and preventive care * Dental and vision care * Mental health counseling
Use the map below to locate a free clinic near you. Always call before you go to verify services and hours of operation.
Wanted to add an offer from Drugstore.com for first-time customers: Buy a 90-day supply of a generic drug and get a credit back for a 30-day supply; up to $50. NJ is excluded for some reason.
"Purchase a 90-day supply of our generic prescription drugs and get 30 days for free. This offer is available on over 1000 generic drugs. Not only is this a great way to save money -- you get the privacy and convenience of shopping at home from a trusted online pharmacy. After purchasing your 90 day supply or more, first-time customers can receive a rebate for 30 days of the total purchase -- a savings of up to $50."
mail2phil said: QueenieB, thanks for putting this together. I have been doing a lot of research on the same subject for a while now and have not been able to find anything. The nearest I came was finding the Self employed individuals organization that provides Health, Dental and vision with a four to six month waiting period.
Does any one know where I can get dental insurance? I have health but not dental.
Thanks
Sorry I didn't notice your post until now. Dental insurance is a tough one...not worth it except in rare circumstances and even then it's more of a discount for using one of their preferred providers than real medical insurance where you pay a co-pau or small percentage of the cost. Your best bet may be some of the things that have been mentioned, like a dental school or *possibly* bartering for dental services if you have a skill a dentist might be willing to trade for, like tiling a floor, landscaping or something. I see a lot of Craigslist posts along those lines anyway. If you come up with something, please let us know!
Both web sites provide information about assistance programs. PPARx is sponsored by the drug companies. Needymeds.com is a nonprofit web site founded by a physician.
*all info from the WSJ -- I have no first-hand experience with either.
Updated with free skin cancer screenings from the Skin Cancer Foundation's mobile diagnosis vehicle; May dates are all in VA, but the schedule is updated weekly.
Not free, and not really insurance, but worth looking into:
Various credit unions offer Dental Benefit Plus plans which appears to be a discount program with dentists who have signed up with the plan.
Patelco Credit Union offers a discount drug benefit called Prescription Savings Program, provided in association with Health Plan Partners Rx and Envision / Rx Options, as a membership benefit (no premiums/monthly cost).
Patelco even offers accident and health insurance for your cat or dog.
(For information about credit unions, check the FatWallet Finance Forum and BankDeals blog.)
QueenieB said: Kmart expands 90-day generics program; new list includes sertraline (Zoloft) and simvastatin (Zocor). 90-day supply of generic medications for $15.
New link to Kmart's 90 day Generics list [doesn't work in FF]:
Costco is starting a Member Pharmacy Benefit Program (link is to home page, click on "Pharmacy" at top of page). The details are sketchy -- I believe in July 2007 it rolls out in Arizona and Southern California and will go national later on. The have a partial Preferred Drug list, but it's not interactive. No prices are shown.
The Program is available for members and their dependents who are not covered by any health insurance. You enroll by filling out a form at the pharmacy.
I added in the "Quick Summary" about getting free mammograms for uninsured or underinsured women. It might be a YMMV, but definitely worth looking into. I personally took advntage or a free mamm early this summer. A large hosp. in my area partnered with the Susan B. Komen Fnd and paid for the mamm through a Komen grant.
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