Dr. visits

[mellie8189]

I have a friend who is 22 and not on her parents insurance no more and she really needs to go to the doctor. Im not exactly sure what to tell her. what can she do?

[SLadylani]

You're welcome :) Good luck and I hope everything works out.

Sara RN

[mellie8189]

thanks guys all that info really helps and i do think she needs to go to the gyno cause she has never been before

[SLadylani]

Well for now she can research free or low-income clinics in her area as these are usually readily available if it is not a small town. This can be a short term plan, but in the long run, insurance is a good idea. If she is able to get into a clinic, she can ask one of the proffesionals there for social services resources, or look online for local social services number. That is of course if she is low income, which I'm assuming she is. If she is enrolled in any kind of schooling, most schools offer medical insurance for either no or really low fee. This would be a great idea to get her through the next few years until she can get a job that offers medical insurance. There are other options that social services could talk about if she is not in school. There's Medi-Cal/Medicaid but she would only qualify if she has children or if she is on disability, which she would also have to apply for. This would take several months. There's also CMS, a county insurance, offered to low-income people. She could research the internet about how to apply for that. Often times CMS only will cover certain things and catastrophic events, but at least it's something. But for now, if she needs to see a doctor urgently, research those free/low-income clinics and schedule an appointment. If it is very urgent, she can always go to the ER where they usually offer information about CMS insurance to at least pay for that one time visit. So definitely advise your friend to not go without needed medical care because her lack of insurance. Also, know this website is always here as a resource if either of you ever need help. Good luck in your endeavors, and I hope all works out. I'm sending my best wishes towards both of you. Take care,

Sara RN

[AnnieBrooke]

She should try to get medical insurance.  Where I live, there are medical insurance brokers, who know all the local options and can at least get her some basic coverage for not too much money.  She should look into county medical clinics and things like that, as well.  If her problem is gynecological, she should see if it could be handled at Planned Parenthood.