Money Crashers: How to Get Affordable Medical Care Without Health Insurance

Ten years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, there are still over 27.5 million Americans without health insurance. Some of them are trapped in the coverage gap caused when states refused to expand their Medicaid programs, making it impossible to get an insurance subsidy if your income is too low (because that makes tons of sense). Others have been caught by the family glitch that shuts spouses and children out of subsidies as long as the primary earner in the family has access to affordable coverage for themselves. And some probably could afford insurance, but weighing the cost, they've decided to take their chances going without it.

For all these folks, all health-care costs are out-of-pocket costs. Many of them rely on the emergency room as their primary source of care, since ERs must treat all patients regardless of their ability to pay. However, that doesn't stop them from sending a bill — and it'll be a big one, since the ER is just about the most expensive place possible to get treatment.

So, for anything that isn't a true emergency, it makes much more sense to look for other alternatives first. There are many cheaper sources of care for people without insurance, including free and low-cost health clinics, retail clinics, direct primary care, telemedicine, and urgent care centers. And these folks can sometimes lower their bills still more through medical discount plans, health-care sharing ministries, or clinical trials.

Yes, our health-care system remains broken. But until we can find a way to fix it, at least you can try to avoid letting it break you.

How to Get Affordable Medical Care Without Health Insurance