What to do if You Absolutely Can’t Afford Health Insurance

By Kevin M

Let’s get this point out of the way upfront: everyone should have health insurance. We all know this without anyone emphasizing the point. But with job losses in recent years, companies canceling their coverage, and the cost of independent plans spiraling out of control, millions of people have been forced to drop coverage in favor of just surviving.

If you’re one of them, or think you might be in the near future, here are some suggestions that might help in the event that you absolutely can’t afford a traditional health insurance plan. One or a combination of several may at least partially offset the loss of the typical $1000-plus per month plans that cover all of the things we’re used to.

AFLAC

This isn’t health insurance in any sense of the term, but AFLAC offers plans that will pay flat amounts for specified illnesses and injuries. Far less expensive than health care plans, you can buy a plan for well under $100 per month that will pay thousands of dollars at the time of a covered injury or illness.

Healthcare providers won’t accept it as health insurance, but the company pays direct to you so that you will have some opportunity to pay bills at your option after the fact.

Take care of yourself

We’re told relentlessly by healthcare providers to take better care of ourselves, but that advice becomes critical if you don’t have health insurance. It goes beyond the standard eat-better-and-exercise-more advice. That’s important if you have no coverage, but perhaps even more so is avoiding dangerous behaviors.

Playing tackle football with your buddies on the weekend might help you blow off steam but it’s an accident waiting to happen. Alcohol consumption brings all kinds of potential for disaster, as does climbing a ladder to clean your gutters. And reckless driving is a complete no-go. Slow down and be more aware of what could go wrong, because now there’s no back up plan if it does.

Mini clinics

In the past few years, in house mini clinics have opened at retail outlets by the thousands. If you have no coverage these are a definate option