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The Affordable Care Act can help uninsured people with pre-existing health problems. Learn more.

Coping without insurance

• More information on coping without insurance

What if you are uninsured or need services that Medicare won't cover? You can still receive some form of health care.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (health care reform), which Congress passed in March 2010, will set up a program for people with preexisting health problems who have been uninsured for six months or longer. The program will help people get insurance and pay for premiums. The new law also will help lower health care costs for people on Medicare by, for example, providing free preventive care services and providing better prescription drug coverage. These changes will go into effect over time.

Some public and private programs also can help you get routine health care, prescription drugs, and other services. The National Council on Aging offers a Web service called BenefitsCheckUp. It helps older adults with limited income find help. The database includes over 1,150 programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Besides prescription drugs and health care these programs may also cover:

• Nutrition (including Food Stamps)
• Energy assistance
• Financial assistance
• Legal assistance
• Social Security
• Housing
• In-home services
• Tax relief
• Transportation
• Employment
• Educational assistance
• Volunteer services

To read about what benefits are available to you, use the search tools at www.benefitscheckup.org.

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More information on coping without insurance

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Health Insurance and Women Fact Sheet — This fact sheet explains what health insurance is and how it affects women. It gives information on health care options, what to do if you're uninsured, what to do if you don't qualify for government benefits, and what you can do to protect your health insurance benefits.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/health-insurance-women.cfm

Explore other publications and websites

• Questions and Answers About Health Insurance (Copyright © America’s Health Insurance Plans) — This guide briefly describes the different kinds of health insurance plans available today. These include network-based plans, non-network based coverage, and consumer-directed health plans. Also, you will find answers to many common questions about health insurance. Resources are provided at the end of the booklet to help you find additional, more detailed information.
  http://www.ahip.org/content/default.aspx?bc=41|329|20888
• Title XVII — Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled — This report is an online copy of the Social Security Act Title XVII. It includes information on hospital and medical insurance benefits, Medicare, prescription drug benefits, and more.
  http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title18/1800.htm

Connect with other organizations

• Access to Benefits Coalition
  http://www.accesstobenefits.org
• America’s Health Insurance Plans
  http://www.ahip.org
• Benefits.gov
  http://www.benefits.gov/
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS
  http://www.cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?
• Health Resources Services Administration Information Center
  http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/
• HealthCare.gov
  http://www.healthcare.gov/
• National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
  http://www.nia.nih.gov/
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance
  https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php
• The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
  http://www.healthinaging.org/

Content last updated August 12, 2010.

Resources last updated August 12, 2010.

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