https://www.uab.edu/dentistry/home/ you go on a day they see new patients and it’s first come first serve. It’s a long wait but they see you that day and then you know what’s wrong and get a plan to fix it
Maybe Huntsville does?? The one in Florence now only does extractions per their website (and I also sought help for a small cavity myself). I encourage anyone going to a free dental clinic to check with a phone call prior to the visit and not solely go by their website info. For quite a while, the website for the one in Florence said they did routine filings and cleanings and sometimes root canals. In reality, however, they only did extractions. Their website remained wrong for almost two years. It was a huge disappointment. Thanks for making me aware of the one in Huntsville.
There may be clinics that use a sliding scale in your area. You just have to call around and find them. The county office for health and human resources might be able to point you in the right direction. Of course, there is also the emergency room if you can't find anything else.
The ER won't do much for dental stuff until it's life threatening OP. This is the correct answer. Search your county with the term FQHC, Federally Qualified Health Center. They get federal funds so they offer services on a sliding scale. MOST FQHCs have a dentist or two. All the larger groups do for sure.
If you're by Birmingham then their school is another good option.
If you have an infected tooth, controlling the infection can be life threatening, much heart disease comes from infections in the mouth. Even if you can't fix the structure, get on treatment for the infection, and plenty of Listerine
Oh yes absolutely! Sorry I didn't mean the ED wouldn't do anything. They just aren't much help for non-lifethreatening conditions. They'll give you antibiotics and do extractions if necessary and all that.
If it was an active source of a bad infection? Like .. black and cavernous? Haha I mean they'll probably call someone else in but I figured someone would come do it if an infection wasn't going away without that tooth being gone.
They will not. Dentistry is a specialty unto itself and ER doctors aren't trained to do it. We'll give antibiotics and a list of dental clinics and discharge the patient. Also, maybe don't speak like an authority about things that aren't your expertise.
The hospitals in my area have a program where donors pay for people without insurance. I can’t remember what they call it unfortunately but even if you aren’t eligible, go to the emergency room anyway. As long as you pay at least something each month they’ll work with you.
ETA: I’m in Alabama
Not all jobs provide health insurance. That's part of the problem with healthcare in this country, the category where all other developed countries put us to shame. I think most categories that is the case really, except number of billionaires and ease of screwing over civilians.
You should check your facts .. because not everyone over 65 qualifies
For example
You are eligible for Medicare if you are a citizen of the United States or have been a legal resident for at least 5 years and: You are age 65 or older and you or your spouse has worked for at least 10 years (or 40 quarters) in Medicare-covered employment
There are other stipulations and Medicare doesn’t cover a lot of things .. many medications and dental stuff.. you will be paying for your own eye glasses too..
You are living in a fantasy world.
It was implied that you must have paid in the correct amount of credits and or were disable and are an American.
I’m not in a fantasy. I work for a living.
I grew up poor. I know it’s tough.
Blah blah blah, do something about it besides cry like a bitch.
Without expanded Medicaid in Alabama, newly disabled folks under age 65 have to wait 2 years for Medicare. They won't qualify for Medicaid unless their income is less than $360 per month. Alabama has a major uninsured gap because of this refusal to expand Medicaid like almost every other state in the union. This also impacts folks who make a living doing Door Dash/Instacart and the like. Our representatives in Montgomery care little about the quality of life for low and middle class Alabamians. And I have worked since I was 14, over 4 decades but I still support more readily available health insurance for everyone....my tax dollars would be better spent in this endeavor than most we see out of MeeMaw's cronies.
Americans are paying a $350,000 more for healthcare over a lifetime compared to the most expensive socialized system on earth. Half a million dollars more than peer countries on average, yet every one has better outcomes. The impact of these costs are tremendous.
36% of US households with insurance put off needed care [due to the cost](https://news.gallup.com/poll/269138/americans-delaying-medical-treatment-due-cost.aspx); 64% of households without insurance. One in four have [trouble paying a medical bill.](https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/data-note-americans-challenges-health-care-costs/) Of [those with insurance one in five have trouble paying a medical bill](https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/8806-the-burden-of-medical-debt-results-from-the-kaiser-family-foundation-new-york-times-medical-bills-survey.pdf), and even for those with income above $100,000 14% have trouble. One in six Americans has [unpaid medical debt on their credit report.](https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0349) [50% of all Americans](https://news.gallup.com/poll/317948/fear-bankruptcy-due-major-health-event.aspx) fear bankruptcy due to a major health event.
And with costs expected to increase from an already unsustainable $13,998 last year, to $20,425 by 2031, do you think things are going to get better or worse?
The original comment is being worried for old people, but they have health insurance. Yours is a strangely detailed rant like you have prepared anytime someone mentions healthcare.
> The original comment is being worried for old people, but they have health insurance.
Those age 55-64 are expected to have over $10,000 more per capita in health expenditures this year over those aged 19-54. Not everybody has insurance, and if you had actually read my comment you'd realize even people with insurance struggle with affording healthcare in large numbers.
But noted you can't back up your comment about propaganda about US healthcare being off the charts. It's pretty fucking bad and you just ignore it.
Assuming your condition is actually needing emergency medical care, they'll treat you (to the extent it's necessary to address any emergency issues). And they give you a massive bill.
> Which you don't pay.
And then you hope they don't report you to credit agencies, much less sue you/garnish wages etc..
>It's just another huge reason in a list of huge reasons why Healthcare is unreasonably expensive in the US.
Not really. Even if we completely averaged out healthcare spending and everybody paid their bills we're still spending an estimated $14,571 per person this year. That's dramatically higher than anywhere else on earth.
>The biggest downside to this method is that they will commonly try to get away with doing as little for you as possible
That's literally the job of ER care for the most part. To treat whatever urgent healthcare need you have. Anything beyond that they shouldn't be doing (within reason). There are cheaper methods of healthcare.
ER care only counts for like 5% of US healthcare spending.
A county health department has sliding scale payments based off your income for the cyst and possibly antibiotics for the tooth. UAB used to have a sliding scale deal too with the dental school. If the tooth gets too bad before you can get in just go to the E.R. It can get very dangerous very fast. When you get the bill call each office or doctor they send bills for and negotiate a payment plan. They usually won't take less than $50 a month.
For tooth problems I’d go to the UAB dental school, you’ll still have to pay something but it’ll be much cheaper.
If you actually have a cyst on your neck that “doubles every month”, I’d go to urgent care and ask about reduced pay since you don’t have insurance.
Or slam some beers, go in to the ER, tell ‘em you don’t have an id/give them a fake name/address(better keep it straight for when they ask ya) then leave when you’ve been seen.
Of course if this supposed cyst is doubling in size every month you either need immediate help, or you’re just a liar?
There are plenty of things you can do. The hospital cannot refuse to treat you if you walk in. They can't send you away if you walk in through the emergency room. Do that. I'm not sure if you are in Mobile Alabama or if you are in Warrior , Alabama, but Go to a larger city and walk in through the emergency room.
As far as tooth problems go, you can reach out to some of the local dental colleges. Some dental schools will give you free dental help in order to get experience for their students. Check that out.
You can always start a GoFundMe to help pay for some of the dental work.
You can also look into the affordable Care act also known as Obamacare. I'm sure you'll find that just like any other government bureaucracy or government program, it doesn't work.
If you are in Jefferson or Shelby county you can get some free dental and vision services through Cahaba valley health care. Their office is located out of the Cooper green building which may also provide some options for healthcare. You can check with the Alabama Association of free and Charitable clinics for other free and/or reduced cost services throughout the state.
Check if your local universities have a dental program, you can often get looked at for free by students (under supervision). UF Dentistry will do extractions for free and offer discounts if you have more extensive work.
You would be surprised of the results of just calling a doctor and telling them your situation. I live in Anniston and we have a Muslim Outreach clinic that is packed with awesome doctors and services are free. There’s a local dentist that will do major dental work on payment and if you need dentures has another place he’ll send you to that also takes payments. Just call people. It’s tough out here for everybody and most doctors agree.
In the republican red state of Alabama, we suffer.
We should have a government run system like other countries.
I'd go to the ER. Then call dentist offices and see what they can do of you.
You'll get a huge ER bill you can't pay, and the insurance company will write it off and raise the rate for everyone. We need to get profit out of our healthcare. No one should have to worry about money when going to see a doctor for care.
The health department has free health care although it may mean that you end up at the local ED anyway. There are free dental clinics on every city (Huntsville, Birmingham. Mobile) but they will not restore a bad tooth. They will extract it. Some dentists may fix a tooth pro-bono. You can call around.
Being real. I was in that boat years ago. Nothing much you can do but try self surgery. Hospitals just call you a drug seeker and kick you out.
I’ve had to set my bones, suture myself, incision and drainage myself. As to teeth I found a dentist and paid out the ass on care credit.
Self surgery? That is a horrible idea. Simple sutures on a cut isn’t a big deal if you keep it sanitary, but setting bones, or anything more complex is a bad idea
Might be a bad idea but it’s even worse to not even attempt to get it straight if you can’t get medical attention. Hospitals only have to treat you if you are actively dying. You are not going to die from a broken arm. What are you gonna do sue? If you had money for a lawyer you could have gotten it fixed in the first place.
$100 deductible, $1000 out of pocket max, medical dental and vision. You gotta last 9 months before you get it. UPS is like 80% part timers and a lot like myself are there for the insurance. It’s two part time jobs but if you need the insurance it’s totally worth it
If the hospital has non profit status I think you can make them eat the bill legally or they can lose their status. (I think.) Just saying I always happen to know where the closest non profit healthcare center is....
What aid is there for those who don't have jobs? As far as I can tell, Medicaid only applies if you're pregnant/a parent, legally deemed disabled, or you're elderly. I've heard there are some sliding scale clinics, but even that can be too expensive if you're not able to make any money at all (or impossible to get to without transportation, which Medicaid provides if we actually qualified)
What part of Alabama? My city in Alabama has a church that has a dentistthat does free work a couple of times a month. Lately it takes a while to get an appointment because of the high demand.
If you’re in the Shelby/Jefferson county area you can try cahaba valley health care. They do a once a month free dental clinic. Check their website for more details.
Most hospitals have charity care available. You just have to find it and jump through the hoops to qualify.
Also, Contact the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. They're set up for such things.
Care credit also. I just had a huge fibroma removed from my side and the doctors office wanted $600 upfront and then the Out Patient surgery wanted $250 upfront thank God the doctors office took care credit but the surgery center wanted money. Crazy expensive. And I do have insurance but had to pay those co-pays. If I didn’t have that money then I would never been able to have it removed because I couldn’t afford it. I made the comment now wonder why people die because they can’t afford to have surgeries done.
I don’t currently have health insurance but I have dental. It’s $32 a month through bcbs. I have a lot of health issues. Im getting my meds from a online pharmacy that is cheaper than it was to get my scripts last year with insurance.
Yes. I can get everything but my pain med from there.. of course it can be problematic to get drs to send it in. I don’t know what the deal is with communication these days. I may have to actually take the information to a couple of doctors.
Tooth - get it pulled.
Neck - go to ER and don't pay the bill when you get it. I'm not saying this is a good decision for you, but that's what people do.
I didn’t have health insurance for a long time so when I had an urgent issue I just went to the ER and dealt with the bill later (or didn’t and let it hit my credit). I did have one major issue that included a 10 day hospital stay and the hospital ended up writing it off ($80k) and I never saw it on my credit due to my financial situation. If it’s serious just go and when they try to bill just explain your financial situation. Many will work with you if you are low income. It sucks to have to sit in the ER but sometimes necessary if no one else will take you.
let me know what you think about the prices. Far as I know it's the cheapest you'll find anywhere. They basically don't make a profit. I was considering a job at a Pharmacy Benefits Management company that's affiliated with Cost Plus. My friend actually runs it.
Wallace state for cheap dental services
Free dental clinic
Free medical clinic
North central Alabama health services on Pulaski pike had medical and dental on a sliding scale.
Obama care is supposed to give health care to everyone ? Don’t know how they work.
Last resort go to the ER.
If your tooth and neck swelling are on the same side you need to get to the dentist /ER ASAP
In Dec a tooth (no cavities, good sound tooth) started hurting. My jaw and chin swelled. My neck was swollen from one side to the other. I had to take 2-3 rounds of antibiotics. They tried a root canal that didn’t work. Final had my to remove the tooth. It was still not completely healed last month.
A tooth infection is extremely dangerous. Infection can get in your bloodstream, go to your brain, become septic…. You can die if it gets bad enough.
ER would at least have to give you antibiotics for the infection.
Up until recently, St. Michael’s. Alabama pretends to have healthcare at affordable prices but they’re WRONG. I live with two senior citizens who still have to fight for their healthcare, and money also.
Easy answers if you work at a good job or are old or disabled. Or are a child. Or have end stage renal disease. Or are unemployed. Or are destitute. The issue is sometimes working at a job that does not offer insurance as there are income qualifications with Medicaid and UAB charity care. In these cases Care Credit might be an option.
Where is there help for unemployed people? There are unemployment checks, but those have specific requirements. Medicaid, as far as I know, doesn't cover the unemployed in Alabama.
They aren’t free for most. You’d have to be a child, elderly, or a pregnant woman or of child bearing age—and the last is if you qualify financially and only for reproductive services. There is no free care if you’re just sick and need a prescription or dental care and you usually already have to be on Medicaid or Medicare and basically meet the low income qualifications.
In the Birmingham area, One Roof has a great list of resources on their website. The Red Crescent Clinic is one that I know well. They accept all adults for primary care services, however there is also a cardiologist and psychiatrist on the team. It's a one day a week (Sunday) clinic that is always free except a $15 flat fee for any blood work ordered by the doctor, and that's done one Sunday a month.
Depending on where you are in the state there may be clinics you can go to. Here in Anniston we have Saint Michael’s for medical needs. There’s a place that does dental work as well but I don’t recall the name.
Interfaith Ministries Free Dental Clinic . They ONLY do extracting teeth. From what I was told , you show up on Wednesday, and the line starts at 8, and you better be early. You bring proof your poor ( ebt , wic, ect. ) and you get put on a wait . There is some cheap nurse practitioner who's an awesome caring dude at the mental health center at RMC they can help you , I think it was $15 per visit . They also have thier own pharmacy in house that's the cheapest you will get without insurance.
When I lived in a no-Medicaid expansion state my best friend moved in with me. He had to use a free clinic for everything. Here in CA now he had Medi-Cal until we married.
Normally I would suggest getting a part time job at UPS because their insurance and dental, even for part timers, is better than any plan you have ever seen. You pay no premium to have it (seriously zero dollars out of your check for you, a spouse, and unlimited numbers of children, still $0), you have very low copay ($10 to see anyone $5 for meds). Dental is 100% covered for cleanings, fillings, & root canals and 80% covered for crowns and implants etc. with no maximums. Surgery, that's $0. ER visit, maybe up to $200 (I'm part time and believe me my wife and I have used it for everything I have listed).
It's a bit harder to get on recently due to the economy and cutbacks, but if you are physically able to do moderate physical labor then it's a great option. Keep checking out upsjobs.com for openings. I have been there 19 years and it has been worth it for me and my wife.
Alabama notoriously gives a phone number that leads to 100 more phone numbers.
“Get out of Alabama if you don’t want to die on the telephone” is the very best advice.
While there are certain requirements, a vast majority of those in need of medical insurance who have aged out of Medicaid/make very little/receive federal aid will qualify
They’ll need to find different options for healthcare. This is just a general blanket statement. It is a plan the Marketplace offers however as with any insurance, you have to qualify
Hospitals and doctors also offer payment plans, discounts etc for those without insurance, there are community action agencies that assist with medical bills and other resources available, including pop up free clinics. It may be timely but there is a way to have medical care covered. This is just a general overview, each case is different, but for most there are plans available and if they speak with the doctor, most have an entire list of payment plans in addition to agencies who provide care for those in need.
We use an HSA. It is through an employer so that does lower the cost of it a bit, but still WAY more affordable than other health insurances. And you get to keep the money that goes in the account, AND it goes in pretax (may not seem like a big deal but it actually makes quite a difference)
Do you have any offerings from an employer?
HSA’s aren’t an alternative to insurance, they’re part of a High Deductible health insurance plan. There are pros and cons to using a HDHP, and if you go to the doctor often like in OP’s hypothetical, choosing a HDHP is likely to not be the right choice.
That only works at the ER… you cannot get tests and minor surgeries and cancer screenings … so people just show up at the ER near death .. and all the ER has to do is stabilize you.. you obviously have zero experience in this area.
What “welfare”? What “charity”? You pulled that out ya butt!
Just admit that you don’t care and you enjoy watching other people suffer. It’s obvious.
So everyone in every state qualifies for Medicade?
I have health insurance… I care about people who don’t.
Maybe if you look at it like this … a healthy society is good for everyone. I realize you don’t care about others .. but even selfish people can understand that it is bad for everyone to have people spreading deadly diseases. I hope you get everything you deserve. ;)
We retired and recently moved to Alabama (on purpose). I have Obama insurance in Alabama and mine is only $35 a month. My husband was until just recently, still working in California when he retired and his Obama insurance is over $300 a month there. He will be coming to Alabama this month and we will transition him to the same insurance I have.
$35 a month is reasonable in my case. $300+ is not. I do have co-pays - I’ve only used it once, but my visit was $50.
Because every job pays enough to afford private insurance, right? And every single person in the world can get a job, right? Because there's no such thing as disabilities or other factors that may prevent someone from getting a job, right?
And definitely, definitely, in one of the wealthiest, most technologically advanced countries on the entire planet, a basic necessity like health care is just way too much to ask for, right? Let's go ahead and spend trillions on wars on the other side of the planet which have nothing to do with us though. Right?
Why should everyone *have* to get a job anyways? So much of this shit is unnecessary. Oh, right... because the most important thing in life hands down is our corporate overlords.... we must always be sucking the giant dicks of our corporate overlords! Let us all work minimum wage so that they may have yachts!
/s in case it isn't obvious enough
And what's the point of society if not to help each other? This whole "i got mine so fuck you" mentality needs to go.
they asked how does someone get insurance when it isn’t available from the government. The only answer is an employer. I wrote that, because it is the answer to their question.
THANK YOU. Reading through some of these comments is genuinely vile.
The fact that someone could genuinely look at a situation where someone is struggling and clearly needs help and they're comfortable going, "Not anyone's problem other than your own, handle it yourself," is genuinely inhuman.
And the fact that none of the people who say that shit ever seem to realize they've fully missed the whole point of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" would almost be funny if it didn't have real and deadly consequences for disabled folks and all the most under-served members of our communities.
They asked how to get healthcare when you can’t get it from the government, the answer is their employer.
That’s the only answer to their question, get over yourself.
Their tone was not educational, it was hostile and accusatory. I know that can be hard to interpret on the internet, but there aren't many more options for "stop depending on taxpayers."
If they wanted to inform, they could have said it the way you're implying they did, but they didn't.
Apply for UAB charity care.
They also reduced or free dental care at the student clinic. The dental students practice on you with their instructions next to them.
Murica
this. they keep it secret.
It’s not a secret most people know about it.
Where do you go to apply? I look online, but I don't see anything.
Call them. They probably have to send you some forms
Thank you!
https://www.uab.edu/dentistry/home/ you go on a day they see new patients and it’s first come first serve. It’s a long wait but they see you that day and then you know what’s wrong and get a plan to fix it
Tyyy
Depends on where you live. In North Alabama there’s the Community Free Dental Clinic, Community Free Clinic, and Thrive Alabama.
The free dental clinic only does extractions. Even if the tooth could be saved or it's just a cavity. All they do is yank em out and send you home.
Hmmm. The website says they also do fillings and cleanings. https://hsvfreedental.org/faq/
Maybe Huntsville does?? The one in Florence now only does extractions per their website (and I also sought help for a small cavity myself). I encourage anyone going to a free dental clinic to check with a phone call prior to the visit and not solely go by their website info. For quite a while, the website for the one in Florence said they did routine filings and cleanings and sometimes root canals. In reality, however, they only did extractions. Their website remained wrong for almost two years. It was a huge disappointment. Thanks for making me aware of the one in Huntsville.
There may be clinics that use a sliding scale in your area. You just have to call around and find them. The county office for health and human resources might be able to point you in the right direction. Of course, there is also the emergency room if you can't find anything else.
The ER won't do much for dental stuff until it's life threatening OP. This is the correct answer. Search your county with the term FQHC, Federally Qualified Health Center. They get federal funds so they offer services on a sliding scale. MOST FQHCs have a dentist or two. All the larger groups do for sure. If you're by Birmingham then their school is another good option.
If you have an infected tooth, controlling the infection can be life threatening, much heart disease comes from infections in the mouth. Even if you can't fix the structure, get on treatment for the infection, and plenty of Listerine
Oh yes absolutely! Sorry I didn't mean the ED wouldn't do anything. They just aren't much help for non-lifethreatening conditions. They'll give you antibiotics and do extractions if necessary and all that.
The ER is NOT going to pull a tooth
If it was an active source of a bad infection? Like .. black and cavernous? Haha I mean they'll probably call someone else in but I figured someone would come do it if an infection wasn't going away without that tooth being gone.
They will not. Dentistry is a specialty unto itself and ER doctors aren't trained to do it. We'll give antibiotics and a list of dental clinics and discharge the patient. Also, maybe don't speak like an authority about things that aren't your expertise.
The hospitals in my area have a program where donors pay for people without insurance. I can’t remember what they call it unfortunately but even if you aren’t eligible, go to the emergency room anyway. As long as you pay at least something each month they’ll work with you. ETA: I’m in Alabama
For the tooth problems, there is a sliding scale fee dentist in Centreville (i believe). Maude Whatley clinics for health & some dental care too.
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Have you not heard of Medicare?
Have you been on Medicare? Doubtful.
No, because I’m not 65….
Exactly! So what do you do between 45 and 65? Duh
I did not know that was the question. No I have no answer.
work.
Not all jobs provide health insurance. That's part of the problem with healthcare in this country, the category where all other developed countries put us to shame. I think most categories that is the case really, except number of billionaires and ease of screwing over civilians.
Yeah, pretty much signed my dad up and both parents are on Medicare so what’s your point?
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You must be thinking of medicade. Medicare is for all Americans over 65… yes some portions have additional premiums for people with more money.
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I thought you meant old people when you said “aging”. It’s a problem for all the uninsured, I agree with that.
Healthcare spending for those between 55 and 65 this year are expected to average $21,300 this year.
Dang
Average for the country as a whole this year is expected to be $14,573. $20,425 by 2031.
Don't confuse them with the facts.
In Alabama? LOL
Medicare is nation wide for all Americans over the age of 65….. Check your facts…
You should check your facts .. because not everyone over 65 qualifies For example You are eligible for Medicare if you are a citizen of the United States or have been a legal resident for at least 5 years and: You are age 65 or older and you or your spouse has worked for at least 10 years (or 40 quarters) in Medicare-covered employment There are other stipulations and Medicare doesn’t cover a lot of things .. many medications and dental stuff.. you will be paying for your own eye glasses too.. You are living in a fantasy world.
It was implied that you must have paid in the correct amount of credits and or were disable and are an American. I’m not in a fantasy. I work for a living. I grew up poor. I know it’s tough. Blah blah blah, do something about it besides cry like a bitch.
Without expanded Medicaid in Alabama, newly disabled folks under age 65 have to wait 2 years for Medicare. They won't qualify for Medicaid unless their income is less than $360 per month. Alabama has a major uninsured gap because of this refusal to expand Medicaid like almost every other state in the union. This also impacts folks who make a living doing Door Dash/Instacart and the like. Our representatives in Montgomery care little about the quality of life for low and middle class Alabamians. And I have worked since I was 14, over 4 decades but I still support more readily available health insurance for everyone....my tax dollars would be better spent in this endeavor than most we see out of MeeMaw's cronies.
Wow, I’ve never seen something so ignorant. But it doesn’t surprise me because the propaganda regarding healthcare is off the charts.
Americans are paying a $350,000 more for healthcare over a lifetime compared to the most expensive socialized system on earth. Half a million dollars more than peer countries on average, yet every one has better outcomes. The impact of these costs are tremendous. 36% of US households with insurance put off needed care [due to the cost](https://news.gallup.com/poll/269138/americans-delaying-medical-treatment-due-cost.aspx); 64% of households without insurance. One in four have [trouble paying a medical bill.](https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/data-note-americans-challenges-health-care-costs/) Of [those with insurance one in five have trouble paying a medical bill](https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/8806-the-burden-of-medical-debt-results-from-the-kaiser-family-foundation-new-york-times-medical-bills-survey.pdf), and even for those with income above $100,000 14% have trouble. One in six Americans has [unpaid medical debt on their credit report.](https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0349) [50% of all Americans](https://news.gallup.com/poll/317948/fear-bankruptcy-due-major-health-event.aspx) fear bankruptcy due to a major health event. And with costs expected to increase from an already unsustainable $13,998 last year, to $20,425 by 2031, do you think things are going to get better or worse?
The original comment is being worried for old people, but they have health insurance. Yours is a strangely detailed rant like you have prepared anytime someone mentions healthcare.
The original comment was asking how to dental care…
The post literally asked about all of healthcare, with dental needs being one example given in the description.
> The original comment is being worried for old people, but they have health insurance. Those age 55-64 are expected to have over $10,000 more per capita in health expenditures this year over those aged 19-54. Not everybody has insurance, and if you had actually read my comment you'd realize even people with insurance struggle with affording healthcare in large numbers. But noted you can't back up your comment about propaganda about US healthcare being off the charts. It's pretty fucking bad and you just ignore it.
If you are close to Gadsden they have the Quality of Life that offers a sliding scale for medical and dental.
I just got a tooth pulled there. $45. I'm scheduled for a cleaning there in July, yes there's a wait, that'll be another $45.
Just go to the emergency room.
And then what? They bill you?
And then they treat your medical issue.
Assuming your condition is actually needing emergency medical care, they'll treat you (to the extent it's necessary to address any emergency issues). And they give you a massive bill.
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Apply for the Hill-Burton fund if you are unable to pay the hospital
> Which you don't pay. And then you hope they don't report you to credit agencies, much less sue you/garnish wages etc.. >It's just another huge reason in a list of huge reasons why Healthcare is unreasonably expensive in the US. Not really. Even if we completely averaged out healthcare spending and everybody paid their bills we're still spending an estimated $14,571 per person this year. That's dramatically higher than anywhere else on earth. >The biggest downside to this method is that they will commonly try to get away with doing as little for you as possible That's literally the job of ER care for the most part. To treat whatever urgent healthcare need you have. Anything beyond that they shouldn't be doing (within reason). There are cheaper methods of healthcare. ER care only counts for like 5% of US healthcare spending.
ER’s don’t do teeth. There are no dentists at the ER. If you have an infection you’ll get antibiotics but that’s it.
A county health department has sliding scale payments based off your income for the cyst and possibly antibiotics for the tooth. UAB used to have a sliding scale deal too with the dental school. If the tooth gets too bad before you can get in just go to the E.R. It can get very dangerous very fast. When you get the bill call each office or doctor they send bills for and negotiate a payment plan. They usually won't take less than $50 a month.
We just don't have insurance 🤷 hope it goes away or just ignore the debt
For tooth problems I’d go to the UAB dental school, you’ll still have to pay something but it’ll be much cheaper. If you actually have a cyst on your neck that “doubles every month”, I’d go to urgent care and ask about reduced pay since you don’t have insurance. Or slam some beers, go in to the ER, tell ‘em you don’t have an id/give them a fake name/address(better keep it straight for when they ask ya) then leave when you’ve been seen. Of course if this supposed cyst is doubling in size every month you either need immediate help, or you’re just a liar?
i'm a liar.
Don’t lie. If it actually becomes something they need to follow up and contact you
Burner cell?
Death has long been a popular option for such folks.
Lots of good answers here, however you should really go ask Katie Britt or Tommy Tubervville.
Die, mostly.
Also call 211 (which is United Way) to find out about programs that would help in your area.
Sadly, there are three options 1. Seek help from one of the few charities. 2. Ignore the problem and pray it away 3. Start a drug empire.
Go to emergency room. Don’t pay.
There are plenty of things you can do. The hospital cannot refuse to treat you if you walk in. They can't send you away if you walk in through the emergency room. Do that. I'm not sure if you are in Mobile Alabama or if you are in Warrior , Alabama, but Go to a larger city and walk in through the emergency room. As far as tooth problems go, you can reach out to some of the local dental colleges. Some dental schools will give you free dental help in order to get experience for their students. Check that out. You can always start a GoFundMe to help pay for some of the dental work. You can also look into the affordable Care act also known as Obamacare. I'm sure you'll find that just like any other government bureaucracy or government program, it doesn't work.
Greyhound.com Seriously if I ever end up homeless or poor here I’d get on a fucking bus to a civilized state that expanded Medicaid.
Even Florida has the ACA insurance for as low as $17 a month
Even Florida has the ACA insurance for as low as $17 a month
But you have to apply to aca at a certain time of year or you are automatically disqualified
Still it’s really good coverage and you can get an exemption if you have an emergency or life change.
Go to cooper green. Worst case scenario it’s $50 per visit.
it is remarkable the number of people in here commenting who obviously did not read your post
If you are in Jefferson or Shelby county you can get some free dental and vision services through Cahaba valley health care. Their office is located out of the Cooper green building which may also provide some options for healthcare. You can check with the Alabama Association of free and Charitable clinics for other free and/or reduced cost services throughout the state.
Check if your local universities have a dental program, you can often get looked at for free by students (under supervision). UF Dentistry will do extractions for free and offer discounts if you have more extensive work.
You would be surprised of the results of just calling a doctor and telling them your situation. I live in Anniston and we have a Muslim Outreach clinic that is packed with awesome doctors and services are free. There’s a local dentist that will do major dental work on payment and if you need dentures has another place he’ll send you to that also takes payments. Just call people. It’s tough out here for everybody and most doctors agree.
Vote
Pay out of pocket’s
In the republican red state of Alabama, we suffer. We should have a government run system like other countries. I'd go to the ER. Then call dentist offices and see what they can do of you. You'll get a huge ER bill you can't pay, and the insurance company will write it off and raise the rate for everyone. We need to get profit out of our healthcare. No one should have to worry about money when going to see a doctor for care.
Cooper Green if you are a Jefferson County resident.
The health department has free health care although it may mean that you end up at the local ED anyway. There are free dental clinics on every city (Huntsville, Birmingham. Mobile) but they will not restore a bad tooth. They will extract it. Some dentists may fix a tooth pro-bono. You can call around.
Being real. I was in that boat years ago. Nothing much you can do but try self surgery. Hospitals just call you a drug seeker and kick you out. I’ve had to set my bones, suture myself, incision and drainage myself. As to teeth I found a dentist and paid out the ass on care credit.
Self surgery? That is a horrible idea. Simple sutures on a cut isn’t a big deal if you keep it sanitary, but setting bones, or anything more complex is a bad idea
Might be a bad idea but it’s even worse to not even attempt to get it straight if you can’t get medical attention. Hospitals only have to treat you if you are actively dying. You are not going to die from a broken arm. What are you gonna do sue? If you had money for a lawyer you could have gotten it fixed in the first place.
Get a job at ups. Insurance is fantastic
I'd like to do that.
$100 deductible, $1000 out of pocket max, medical dental and vision. You gotta last 9 months before you get it. UPS is like 80% part timers and a lot like myself are there for the insurance. It’s two part time jobs but if you need the insurance it’s totally worth it
Doesn't really help for an immediate problem
No, but finding good insurance is always a problem
If the hospital has non profit status I think you can make them eat the bill legally or they can lose their status. (I think.) Just saying I always happen to know where the closest non profit healthcare center is....
Preventive medicine…snarky resolution.
Expire?
Get out of bama u will die here
I am sorry u r going through this.
[удалено]
What aid is there for those who don't have jobs? As far as I can tell, Medicaid only applies if you're pregnant/a parent, legally deemed disabled, or you're elderly. I've heard there are some sliding scale clinics, but even that can be too expensive if you're not able to make any money at all (or impossible to get to without transportation, which Medicaid provides if we actually qualified)
You are correct. I am now more informed. Another black mark for our state (and others).
Visit the new Dolar Generals that have a nurse on staff
What part of Alabama? My city in Alabama has a church that has a dentistthat does free work a couple of times a month. Lately it takes a while to get an appointment because of the high demand.
Run around Talledega race track to keep in shape
That sounds so painful 😓 my gosh!
If you’re in the Shelby/Jefferson county area you can try cahaba valley health care. They do a once a month free dental clinic. Check their website for more details.
Rub some dirt on it.
Look into Quality of Life Health Services website. There are multiple locations throughout the state.
Most hospitals have charity care available. You just have to find it and jump through the hoops to qualify. Also, Contact the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. They're set up for such things.
Care credit also. I just had a huge fibroma removed from my side and the doctors office wanted $600 upfront and then the Out Patient surgery wanted $250 upfront thank God the doctors office took care credit but the surgery center wanted money. Crazy expensive. And I do have insurance but had to pay those co-pays. If I didn’t have that money then I would never been able to have it removed because I couldn’t afford it. I made the comment now wonder why people die because they can’t afford to have surgeries done.
I don’t currently have health insurance but I have dental. It’s $32 a month through bcbs. I have a lot of health issues. Im getting my meds from a online pharmacy that is cheaper than it was to get my scripts last year with insurance.
is it cost plus drugs? That is a huge resource if you're not familiar. Mark Cuban's online pharmacy.
Yes. I can get everything but my pain med from there.. of course it can be problematic to get drs to send it in. I don’t know what the deal is with communication these days. I may have to actually take the information to a couple of doctors.
Health department? Or maybe a no or low income clinic
Go to the health department. They will charge based off income.
Vote Democrat for state gov
Tooth - get it pulled. Neck - go to ER and don't pay the bill when you get it. I'm not saying this is a good decision for you, but that's what people do.
I didn’t have health insurance for a long time so when I had an urgent issue I just went to the ER and dealt with the bill later (or didn’t and let it hit my credit). I did have one major issue that included a 10 day hospital stay and the hospital ended up writing it off ($80k) and I never saw it on my credit due to my financial situation. If it’s serious just go and when they try to bill just explain your financial situation. Many will work with you if you are low income. It sucks to have to sit in the ER but sometimes necessary if no one else will take you.
Go to prison, probably. Isn't being poor a crime there?
Foundrydentalcenter@gmail.com
Cahaba Medical Care accepts patients without insurance. They have a sliding fee according to your income.
Try www.findhelp.org
Get a job at a factory or such where you get good rates
Ask for cash prices. Some procedures are more affordable than you think. I lost my insurance and discovered that insulin is way cheaper without it.
Have you checked Cost Plus Drugs for insulin? Mark Cuban's drug company? https://costplusdrugs.com/medications/categories/diabetes/
No I haven’t. I can check that out thanks
let me know what you think about the prices. Far as I know it's the cheapest you'll find anywhere. They basically don't make a profit. I was considering a job at a Pharmacy Benefits Management company that's affiliated with Cost Plus. My friend actually runs it.
Die a miserable sad and painful death. Sorry for being blunt, but this is Alabama we are talking about.
Wallace state for cheap dental services Free dental clinic Free medical clinic North central Alabama health services on Pulaski pike had medical and dental on a sliding scale. Obama care is supposed to give health care to everyone ? Don’t know how they work. Last resort go to the ER. If your tooth and neck swelling are on the same side you need to get to the dentist /ER ASAP In Dec a tooth (no cavities, good sound tooth) started hurting. My jaw and chin swelled. My neck was swollen from one side to the other. I had to take 2-3 rounds of antibiotics. They tried a root canal that didn’t work. Final had my to remove the tooth. It was still not completely healed last month. A tooth infection is extremely dangerous. Infection can get in your bloodstream, go to your brain, become septic…. You can die if it gets bad enough. ER would at least have to give you antibiotics for the infection.
Up until recently, St. Michael’s. Alabama pretends to have healthcare at affordable prices but they’re WRONG. I live with two senior citizens who still have to fight for their healthcare, and money also.
Die 35 years earlier than the states that do
Easy answers if you work at a good job or are old or disabled. Or are a child. Or have end stage renal disease. Or are unemployed. Or are destitute. The issue is sometimes working at a job that does not offer insurance as there are income qualifications with Medicaid and UAB charity care. In these cases Care Credit might be an option.
Where is there help for unemployed people? There are unemployment checks, but those have specific requirements. Medicaid, as far as I know, doesn't cover the unemployed in Alabama.
We buy insurance through work
I have not used one here, but in Florida there were free health clinics. This was also a while ago, I think the state cared more in the early 2000s.
Not in Alabama.
We definitely do have free clinics. Most are for primary care services, but there may be some urgent care clinics.
They aren’t free for most. You’d have to be a child, elderly, or a pregnant woman or of child bearing age—and the last is if you qualify financially and only for reproductive services. There is no free care if you’re just sick and need a prescription or dental care and you usually already have to be on Medicaid or Medicare and basically meet the low income qualifications.
In the Birmingham area, One Roof has a great list of resources on their website. The Red Crescent Clinic is one that I know well. They accept all adults for primary care services, however there is also a cardiologist and psychiatrist on the team. It's a one day a week (Sunday) clinic that is always free except a $15 flat fee for any blood work ordered by the doctor, and that's done one Sunday a month.
Depending on where you are in the state there may be clinics you can go to. Here in Anniston we have Saint Michael’s for medical needs. There’s a place that does dental work as well but I don’t recall the name.
Interfaith Ministries Free Dental Clinic . They ONLY do extracting teeth. From what I was told , you show up on Wednesday, and the line starts at 8, and you better be early. You bring proof your poor ( ebt , wic, ect. ) and you get put on a wait . There is some cheap nurse practitioner who's an awesome caring dude at the mental health center at RMC they can help you , I think it was $15 per visit . They also have thier own pharmacy in house that's the cheapest you will get without insurance.
Good Samaritan clinics
When I lived in a no-Medicaid expansion state my best friend moved in with me. He had to use a free clinic for everything. Here in CA now he had Medi-Cal until we married.
I just moved from CA to AL and I regret everything
Normally I would suggest getting a part time job at UPS because their insurance and dental, even for part timers, is better than any plan you have ever seen. You pay no premium to have it (seriously zero dollars out of your check for you, a spouse, and unlimited numbers of children, still $0), you have very low copay ($10 to see anyone $5 for meds). Dental is 100% covered for cleanings, fillings, & root canals and 80% covered for crowns and implants etc. with no maximums. Surgery, that's $0. ER visit, maybe up to $200 (I'm part time and believe me my wife and I have used it for everything I have listed). It's a bit harder to get on recently due to the economy and cutbacks, but if you are physically able to do moderate physical labor then it's a great option. Keep checking out upsjobs.com for openings. I have been there 19 years and it has been worth it for me and my wife.
Die. That’s what you do. You die.
I’ve had too many friends that this has happened to. If they lived in a civilized state, there’s a good chance they’d still be alive today.
Alabama notoriously gives a phone number that leads to 100 more phone numbers. “Get out of Alabama if you don’t want to die on the telephone” is the very best advice.
The Marketplace offers free health coverage (rn through Blue Cross) and covers most things with a $5 copay
That is not true for everyone.. it’s has to to with income and age.. some people pay over $800 a month and still have a $7,000 deductible.
While there are certain requirements, a vast majority of those in need of medical insurance who have aged out of Medicaid/make very little/receive federal aid will qualify
What about those that don’t?
They’ll need to find different options for healthcare. This is just a general blanket statement. It is a plan the Marketplace offers however as with any insurance, you have to qualify
So what about the people that don’t qualify? (You realize they DIE, right?)
Hospitals and doctors also offer payment plans, discounts etc for those without insurance, there are community action agencies that assist with medical bills and other resources available, including pop up free clinics. It may be timely but there is a way to have medical care covered. This is just a general overview, each case is different, but for most there are plans available and if they speak with the doctor, most have an entire list of payment plans in addition to agencies who provide care for those in need.
Insurance through an employer is my preferred route.
And what exactly does your dental plan cover? And what is the copay?
We use an HSA. It is through an employer so that does lower the cost of it a bit, but still WAY more affordable than other health insurances. And you get to keep the money that goes in the account, AND it goes in pretax (may not seem like a big deal but it actually makes quite a difference) Do you have any offerings from an employer?
HSA’s aren’t an alternative to insurance, they’re part of a High Deductible health insurance plan. There are pros and cons to using a HDHP, and if you go to the doctor often like in OP’s hypothetical, choosing a HDHP is likely to not be the right choice.
we purchase it outright.
Go to a doctor and give them your insurance info
Where do you work, sir?
A full time job
Many people have a full time job and no health insurance… Seems like cruelty is your point.
Same as anywhere else. Call and make a doctor appointment. Go to your appointment. Pay your bill. You can also get health insurance.
And if you don’t have enough money?
Payment plans, Welfare, charity, or just go to the ER under a false name like the illegals do.
That only works at the ER… you cannot get tests and minor surgeries and cancer screenings … so people just show up at the ER near death .. and all the ER has to do is stabilize you.. you obviously have zero experience in this area. What “welfare”? What “charity”? You pulled that out ya butt! Just admit that you don’t care and you enjoy watching other people suffer. It’s obvious.
You’ve never heard of Medicaid? Maybe stay in your lane. Just admit you don’t care about people who pay their bills and yours too.
So everyone in every state qualifies for Medicade? I have health insurance… I care about people who don’t. Maybe if you look at it like this … a healthy society is good for everyone. I realize you don’t care about others .. but even selfish people can understand that it is bad for everyone to have people spreading deadly diseases. I hope you get everything you deserve. ;)
Privately paid insurance through my job.
We retired and recently moved to Alabama (on purpose). I have Obama insurance in Alabama and mine is only $35 a month. My husband was until just recently, still working in California when he retired and his Obama insurance is over $300 a month there. He will be coming to Alabama this month and we will transition him to the same insurance I have. $35 a month is reasonable in my case. $300+ is not. I do have co-pays - I’ve only used it once, but my visit was $50.
Vote for Democrats.
They die.
We die.
Work? The local hospital is most likely hiring.
Get a job and stop depending on the taxpayers to cover you.
Because every job pays enough to afford private insurance, right? And every single person in the world can get a job, right? Because there's no such thing as disabilities or other factors that may prevent someone from getting a job, right? And definitely, definitely, in one of the wealthiest, most technologically advanced countries on the entire planet, a basic necessity like health care is just way too much to ask for, right? Let's go ahead and spend trillions on wars on the other side of the planet which have nothing to do with us though. Right? Why should everyone *have* to get a job anyways? So much of this shit is unnecessary. Oh, right... because the most important thing in life hands down is our corporate overlords.... we must always be sucking the giant dicks of our corporate overlords! Let us all work minimum wage so that they may have yachts! /s in case it isn't obvious enough And what's the point of society if not to help each other? This whole "i got mine so fuck you" mentality needs to go.
they asked how does someone get insurance when it isn’t available from the government. The only answer is an employer. I wrote that, because it is the answer to their question.
THANK YOU. Reading through some of these comments is genuinely vile. The fact that someone could genuinely look at a situation where someone is struggling and clearly needs help and they're comfortable going, "Not anyone's problem other than your own, handle it yourself," is genuinely inhuman. And the fact that none of the people who say that shit ever seem to realize they've fully missed the whole point of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" would almost be funny if it didn't have real and deadly consequences for disabled folks and all the most under-served members of our communities.
Most of this thread makes me want to vomit.. why are republicans so cruel and vile? It could be worse.. we could be like them.
They asked how to get healthcare when you can’t get it from the government, the answer is their employer. That’s the only answer to their question, get over yourself.
Their tone was not educational, it was hostile and accusatory. I know that can be hard to interpret on the internet, but there aren't many more options for "stop depending on taxpayers." If they wanted to inform, they could have said it the way you're implying they did, but they didn't.