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| Money, something needed in large amounts for health treatments |
COBRA
What it does: If you've recently lost your job, you can continue your employer's health insurance plan for a predetermined amount of time (usually 6-12 months).
Who it's for: People who can afford the premium for the COBRA plan, which can be quite expensive.
What it costs: COBRA is an extension of your existing health insurance, so the copays, coverage, and deductibles should be similar if not identical. The premium may be higher because it's a short-term option.
Medicaid
What it does: Each individual state operates its own Medicaid program. Medicaid is designed to provide health coverage for low-income households, families and children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Who it's for: The eligibility requirements differ from state to state, so check with your state to determine your eligibility. Eligibility requirements are usually calculated in relation to the federal poverty level. If your income is too high to qualify for Medicaid, you may retroactively qualify if you are hospitalized or have a serious illness that requires immediate medical care because the cost of those treatments might put you under Medicaid's poverty threshold.
What it costs: Most Medicare programs have little to no cost of enrollment, and they provide pretty extensive coverage for healthcare needs at minimal cost to you.
CHIP
What it does: CHIP, of the Children's Health Insurance Program, is coverage only for children, not for adults. Each state runs and regulates its own CHIP program. CHIP offers extensive services and coverage for children's healthcare needs, including medical, vision, dental, and psychological care.
Who it's for: CHIP covers uninsured children in families that have incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid. CHIP covers children who are United States citizens but does not ask about the parents' citizenship or immigration status.
What it costs: CHIP's enrollment fees are no more than $50 per year per family, and copays range from $5 to $35, depending on the family's income. All of these fees are based on the family's income.
No Insurance
What it does: Having no insurance means that you have to research and find your lowest-cost healthcare options in your area, but it gives you the freedom to choose. Dental or optometry schools might offer free or discounted services, and some pharmaceutical companies give discounts to people with low incomes.
Who it's for: People who still make too much money to qualify for any of the above programs, people who can't afford any of the above programs, people who don't want to participate in government-sponsored healthcare options for the poor, or people who prefer to research and navigate all of their healthcare options individually.
What it costs: Discounted healthcare may cost anywhere from a 10 percent discount from a sympathetic physician's office to free services from a clinic or training program. It also takes time, because you need to research all of your options and find the best value.
About the Author
Samantha Greenbaum, health conscious mother-of-two and weekend camper, writes on behalf of Prime Urgent Care, offering options out of Pearland, TX.
