A piggy bank wearing a stethoscope and taking the pulse of a dollar bill

List of Healthcare Affordability Resources

Welcome to the Broadly Epi list of Care Affordability Resources. It’s no secret that the United States has some atrocious tendencies around privatizing care, medications, and other resources to the point that many who need help the most find it out of reach. Here, we provide a list of various tools, organizations and other resources to help individuals get care, regardless of economic standing.  If you need other resources, please also check out our other Resource Lists that cover things like accessing Trans Inclusive / LGBTQIA+ Health Resources. Keep in mind the order resources presented in are by no means any ranking or endorsement. Likewise, this will be a living document and updated as is appropriate.

 

As a general piece of advice, it is worth looking at your state and/or county department of health, insurance commissioner, and Medicaid office to see what benefits may be afforded by your local government. Additionally, libraries may be able to provide information on these topics as well.

 

The featured image for this page was provided by Flikr under a Creative Commons license.

 

List of Healthcare Affordability Resources: Providers

  • NeedyMeds : NeedyMeds offers a comprehensive database of free, low-cost, and sliding-scale clinics across the United States. Users can search for medical, dental, mental health, and drug user health clinics by entering their zip code or selecting their state. Each listing provides the clinic’s name, address, contact information, and available services, assisting individuals in finding affordable healthcare options in their area. 

 

  • CVS Minute Clinic : MinuteClinic Virtual Care, offered by CVS Health, provides 24/7 access to healthcare services through online consultations with licensed providers. This service allows patients to receive treatment for common illnesses, injuries, and mental health concerns from the comfort of their homes. Generally speaking without insurance, patients can expect $60-$130 for a visit, though insurance may lower the cost and HSA/FSA’s are accepted. 

 

  • Amazon One Medical : While perhaps not ideal due to widespread privacy concerns, Amazon does offer affordable medical consultations ($30-$60) which can be either video or message based, and do allow for quick, affordable care with free follow-up messaging for up to 2 weeks. It should be noted that typically prescriptions in this service only last for 30 day increments, and what can be treated or diagnosed are usually fairly typical maladies.

 

List of Healthcare Affordability Resources: Prescriptions

  •  Walmart $4 Prescription Program : Walmart’s $4 Prescription Program offers affordable access to a selection of commonly prescribed generic medications. Under this program, customers can obtain a 30-day supply of certain medications starting at $4 and a 90-day supply starting at $10. The program includes generic drugs for various conditions, such as diabetes, cholesterol management, hypertension, mental health, and thyroid disorders. It’s important to note that antibiotics, antihistamines, and steroids are not included in this program.  Additionally, some states (California and Minnesota) may have some pricing variability.

 

  • GoodRx : GoodRx is a healthcare platform that helps consumers find affordable prescription medications by comparing prices across various pharmacies and providing discount coupons. Users can search for specific drugs to view current prices at local pharmacies and access coupons to reduce out-of-pocket costs. They offer a mobile app, and most pharmacies these days also have GoodRx cards available at the counter.

 

  • Prescription Hope : Prescription Hope is a national prescription drug access program that provides over 1,500 FDA-approved medications at a fixed cost of $60 per month per medication, regardless of the retail price. Individuals earning around $50,000 annually, couples with a combined income of approximately $70,000, and families with incomes up to $200,000 (adjusted based on the number of dependents) may qualify for assistance, and medications are typically delivered in 90 day intervals.

 

  • Cost Plus Drugs :  The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) is an online pharmacy committed to providing affordable medications by eliminating traditional middlemen and offering transparent pricing. They achieve this by selling generic drugs at the cost of production plus a 15% markup, a $3 pharmacy fee, and a $5 shipping fee. Nationwide shipping is available, and insurance is not required.

List of Healthcare Affordability Resources: Dealing with Insurance

  • Fight Health Insurance : Perhaps one of the only fields that has a worse reputation than Insurance is Artificial Intelligence; But what if you could use AI to fight AI denials? Fight Health Insurance provides resources for appealing health insurance claim denials in the U.S. They focus on simplifying the appeal process, offering templates and guidance for users facing denied claims. Their goal is to make it easier for people to counteract insurance company decisions by reducing barriers to filing appeals. The website also plans to offer premium services for healthcare providers who handle multiple appeals. The premium services pay for the operation of the business, which minimizes risk of data being sold, and throughout their “Generate Appeal” process, they are transparent about data security and best practices. Best of all, they allow for a very simple process to delete all your user data.

 

  • The Patient Advocate Foundation: The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing case management services and financial aid to Americans with chronic, life-threatening, and debilitating illnesses. Their mission is to eliminate obstacles to quality healthcare access. As such, they provide case management help, co-pay relief, and educational resources, including a fairly comprehensive guide on how to appeal an insurance denials.

 

 

List of Healthcare Affordability Resources: Additional/ Wrap Around Services

  • 2-1-1 and United Way: A partnership between 2-1-1 and United Way has created  Ride United, a program where people can get free or reduced rides to appointments, get food delivered, and much more.

 

  • Medicaid NEMT: Depending on one’s state of residence, some state Medicaid plans allow for Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) services to and from appointments, pharmacies and other locations critical for proper care. Lyft advertises their partnership with Hospital Systems and Insurances. Contacting your doctor’s office or insurance plan may prove useful in this instance.

 

  • Air Care Alliance : The Air Care Alliance (ACA) connects patients in need with Volunteer Pilot Organizations (VPOs) that provide free air transportation to distant medical facilities. These services are designed for individuals who require medical care not available locally and who face financial or logistical challenges in accessing treatment. Volunteer pilots use their own aircraft to offer these flights at no cost to the patient.

 

  • Mercy Medical Angels : Mercy Medical Angels offers free transportation services for patients requiring non-emergency medical care. Their assistance includes:
    • Ground Transportation: Providing gas cards, bus, and train tickets for medical appointments over 50 miles away. A minimum of 14 business days is required to process these requests.
    • Air Transportation: Offering charitable, need-based commercial airline assistance for patients and one medically necessary escort. A minimum of 21 days’ notice is required before the travel date to consider flight assistance.