By Sarah Oeschger
As an adult in my early 20s, I never worried about healthcare or who I had insurance with. Now in my late 20s early 30s, like many of us I am just figuring out how to navigate this. Health insurance isn’t always within reach (or budget!). I believe working at Aquarian Clinic has helped provide insight on managing healthcare, while uninsured.
1. Explore Your Healthcare Options:
Look into community health clinics (Like Aquarian- No Insurance Necessary), urgent care centers, and telehealth services designed to fit your budget. Many have a sliding scale!
2. Open Dialogue About Costs:
Get comfortable talking to healthcare providers about your financial situation. Many are willing to create payment plans or offer reduced fees. If you don’t ask, you don’t receive!
3. Research what Healthcare actually is:
Take the time to understand the costs of medical services because there is no set price. Seek providers that offer transparent pricing so you can make informed decisions.
4. Embrace a Preventive Mindset:
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easier than trying to recover one. Don't skip those routine check-ups, even if it’s just yearly physicals and dental cleanings. Early detection can save you both money and bigger health problems later.
5. Prescription Assistance Programs:
GoodRx. Get it. Run any prescription drugs through it first! Look up programs that offer discounts or coupons for free medications. Many clinics have in-house generic medications at cheaper prices too!
6. Connect with Supportive Communities:
Reddit anyone? Online communities/forums can be goldmines of tips, hacks, and info for navigating healthcare without insurance. Still, take these with a grain of salt (it is the internet after all …)
7. Plan for the Future:
Some of us don’t know what we’re doing next month, and that’s OK. In the meantime, start by building an emergency fund ($1000). This will come in handy if a surprise medical expense does come up!
8. Government Assistance Programs:
It’s almost November 1st! Check out the healthcare marketplace. The CORRECT site is healthcare.gov. Explore programs like Medicaid or short-term coverage that could provide a safety net.
9. Health Share programs:
Membership-based groups that pool money to help each other pay for medical bills. The monthly cost is often between $100-$1000 for different coverage levels. The cheapest being catastrophic coverage just for emergencies. Some reputable ones are Zion and Sedera. It’s important to know that Health Shares are not regular insurance and each has rules about what kinds of medical expenses are covered.
10. Be your own Advocate for YOUR Health:
It’s your job to learn about healthcare options, ask about costs, and find solutions. Ideally, I do want to get to a place where I can have insurance coverage. No one explained that to me so like many I stumbled through it. I hope this helps!
*This is not a substitute for medical advice nor advocating against having insurance coverage altogether.
-Sarah Oeschger | Member Experience Specialist | Tallahassee
Call: (850) 900-1971
Email: Admin@aquarianclinic.com
Visit: aquarianclinic.com
Want to know about healthcare at Aquarian Clinic?
Learn everything you need to know about our Direct Primary Care Clinics, located in Tallahassee, Florida, and Jacksonville, Florida.
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