There are Medical Benefits Everyone can Afford.

When we use the term "Medical Benefits" we usually are referring to employer paid health benefits or medial insurance. Medical benefits provided by your employer often extend to your family, or if your family is not completely covered by your job, usually you can put them on the medical benefit plan at a much more affordable rate than purchasing individual coverage. But even if you are not currently receiving insurance coverage from your job - that does not mean you cannot afford medical benefits for you and your family.

"Medical Benefits", especially as we may apply the term to the costs of individual healthcare, may not necessarily mean health insurance. While there is the opportunity now for individuals to purchase fee-for-service or managed care health insurance much like employer provided medical insurance, not everyone can afford or qualify for such coverage. However there are other options of affordable medical benefits that can include treatments at low cost medical facilities and participation in Discount Health plans. If you need to see a doctor and you cannot afford medical insurance for you or your family, you may qualify for Medicaid. Eligibility for Medicaid varies from State to State and you will have to check with your own states Department of Health or Human Services for information about the application process and to see if you qualify. If you have no insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid a "medical benefit" that everyone is entitled to is treatment by an Emergency Room at a Hospital. If you show up at a hospital ER without insurance you cannot be denied treatment by law. Also many hospitals have clinics that offer treatment at no-or low-costs on a sliding scale based on income level. These hospital clinics provide affordable medical treatment for people without any other medical benefits and cannot afford to pay full price for services. It is not uncommon for patients to be billed tens of thousands of dollars less for procedures, even surgeries at a hospital clinic.

Even those who do have medical benefits from work, or who can afford to purchase their own medical benefits, often lack prescription drug coverage. There are several ways to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. The AARP offers a compressive guide to lowering the cost of prescription medication on their website. (http://www.aarp.org) Also while there has been a tendency in the media to demonize the pharmaceutical companies when it comes to the high costs of prescription drugs, many of them are offering discount plans for people who cannot afford to pay for their medications. One in particular is the Merck Patient Assistant Drug Program (http://www.merck.com/merckhelps/), which actually provides free Merck drugs for those without prescription drug insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay for medicine. There are additional medical benefits available from Merck and other Drug Companies that can pay up to 40% of the costs of prescription medication if do not have any other insurance regardless of your age or level of income.

Certainly for long term peace of mind it is best to have medical insurance and you may be surprised at just how affordable a quote for individual health insurance can be, however for many, insurance is not the only option when it comes to medical benefits they can afford.