FIRST STEPS
COBRA
COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is among the most costly options, but it works for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
- All businesses with 20 or more employees must have COBRA, which offers a continuation of group health coverage.
- A persistent fallacy about COBRA is that it can last for only 18 months. Often the coverage can continue through state COBRA plans.
- If you get laid off, check into COBRA coverage as soon as possible. Ask your employer's human resources department for details on how to qualify and how to apply for COBRA.
- Qualifications include voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death and divorce.
- Individuals may have to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.
- Learn all you can about COBRA before you decide. Once you refuse it, you can't change your mind.
- To get details about COBRA, go to www. tinyurl.com/6h5jp7.
Healthy individuals
High-deductible plans may be the best value for healthy people until new employment is found.
- Except for in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont, a person can get this lower-cost coverage for $50 to $150 per month. It offers basic catastrophic coverage with a high deductible until you become eligible for a new employer's plan.
- For a national listing of insurance brokers, go to www.nahu.org.
Family insurance
Healthy Families is an option in a two-income family that becomes a one-income family.
- The family income would determine if children qualify for coverage.
- Low-cost health coverage for children up to age 19 includes health, dental and vision care.
- Putting the children on government-sponsored plans can cut monthly costs and may make a family's adult private insurance costs affordable.
- Go to www.healthy familiesamerica.org.
FAMIS
The Family Access to Medical Insurance Security is Virginia's program to provide health insurance to children.
- FAMIS covers doctor visits, well-baby checkups, hospital visits, vaccinations, prescription medicine, tests and X-rays, and dental, vision and mental health care.
- Eligible families pay no enrollment fee or monthly premiums.
- Some services require a co-payment. Some services, like regular checkups, are free.
- Call (866) 87-FAMIS ( 873-2647).
Pregnant women
For pregnant women who cannot afford insurance, many maternity programs will pay for coverage of the baby during the mother's pregnancy and into the baby's first year.
- In Virginia, the FAMIS Moms program provides health coverage for pregnant women. Regular prenatal care helps increase the chance that the baby will be born healthy.
- For details, call (866)-87-FAMIS (873-2647).
Federal help
Federally funded health centers offer checkups, pregnancy care, immunization, dental care and prescription drugs for those who don't have health insurance.
- Patients pay what they can afford, based on income.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Web site helps you locate the health centers nearest to you. Go to www.finda healthcenter.hrsa.gov.
LOWER-COST OR FREE MEDICAL CARE
Free clinics
The income eligibility for these clinics is 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is about $41,300 for a family of four.
- Beach Health Clinic 3396 Holland Road, Suite 102, Virginia Beach, (757) 428-5601, www.beachhealthclinic.org
- Chesapeake Care, 2145 S. Military Hwy., Chesapeake, (757) 545-5700, www.chesapeakecare.org
- Western Tidewater Free Clinic, 3000 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk, (757) 923-1060, www.wtfreeclinic.org. Eligibility confirmation is by appointment only.
Lower-cost care
These community care clinics charge based on a person's income.
- Park Place Medical Center, 3415 Granby St., Norfolk, (757) 533-9108
- Patient Advocate Foundation, 700 Thimble Shoals Blvd., Suite 200, Newport News, (800) 532-5274. The national nonprofit based in Newport News provides financial and other assistance to people trying to navigate the health care system.
- Portsmouth Community Health Center, 664 Lincoln St., Portsmouth, (757) 393-6363
PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE
State access
The Pharmacy Connection is a software program created by the Virginia Health Care Foundation that eases access to free medications for Virginians with chronic illnesses. These agencies provide assistance in enrolling those eligible into the program:
- Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia. The Pharmacy Connection Program of Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia helps people get their brand-name medications from pharmaceutical companies for free. This program is for people 19 or older, uninsured, low-income, and currently being seen by a physician. Clients or their doctors must be in Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson or York County. The Pharmacy Connection coordinator enrolls clients and then complete all forms and gets signatures. Call (757) 875-0060 or go to www.cceva.org.
- Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia is a resource for medications through The Pharmacy Connection. People must meet income guidelines and have a primary care physician. Call The Pharmacy Connection at Senior Services at (757) 461-9481 or visit www.ssseva.org.
VIRGINIA HOSPITALS
Financial assistance
Virginia's hospitals provide care to all in the community who need care, regardless of ability to pay.
- Each Virginia hospital and health system has a financial assistance policy for low-income patients.
- Most of the time, eligibility for free or discounted care is based on the patient's income level, but other criteria may apply.
- Learn the details of a hospital's financial assistance policy at www.vhha.com.
Insurance facts
- The percentage of people in the United States without health insurance was 15.3 percent in 2007. The number of uninsured was 45.7 million.
- The percentage of people covered by government health insurance programs was 27.8 percent in 2007. The number of people covered by government health insurance increased to 83.0 million, up from 80.3 million.
- The percentage of people covered by private health insurance was 67.5 percent in 2007.
- The percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance was 59.3 in 2007. The number of people was 177.4 million.
- The percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid was 13.2 percent, or 39.6 million, in 2007.
- In 2007, the percentage and number of children younger than 18 without health insurance were 11.0 percent and 8.1 million. Children in poverty are more likely to be uninsured than all children.
To learn more
- Kaisernetwork.org provides information on national health issues. www.kaisernet work.org
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This federal government site offers comprehensive information on Medicare and Medicaid services and eligibility. www.cms.hhs.gov
- The Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program offers individual insurance counseling help to Virginia's senior citizens. Counselors can help with filing for benefits and sorting through complicated statements and notices. Counselors provide confidential assistance for free. www.vda.virginia.gov/vicap2.asp
- Medicaid in Virginia gives details about Medicaid benefits for state residents. www.dmas.virginia.gov
- Guide to Finding Health Insurance Coverage. This guide, compiled by Families USA for Cover TheUninsured.org, helps answer questions that help people looking for health insurance in Virginia. www.coverthe uninsured.org/stateguides/english/VA.pdf
- 2-1-1 Virginia connects people with free information on community services. Dial 2-1-1 to get suggestions on sources for health and human services in Virginia. www3.irissoft.com/rich/advanced.asp
- Virginia Rural Health Resource Center. The center provides technical assistance, facilitates rural health research and collaborates with various public and private organizations to identify and address rural health issues in the commonwealth, thus ensuring access to quality health care for rural Virginians. www.vrhrc.org
- Immigrants and Health Care Coverage. The Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured details health coverage for immigrants in the United States. www.kff.org/uninsured/immigranthealth.cfm
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