Is There Any Low Cost Health Insurance?

For the people who are suggesting MediCal. . . been there. The kids qualified but you will have to liquidate all your assets to get it. You will have to spend your 401K. We don't qualify for anything any more but it was just 9 months ago that we tried. If your kids qualify for Healthy Families rather than MediCal, I wouldn't waste your time.

Go to ehealthinsurance.com and look at the cheaper plans. For $258 month through Anthem Blue Cross, my husband and I are covered. $15 co pay for generic drugs, 3 doctors appointments a year for $40 copay, but a $5000 deductible. All appointments after the first 3 are subject to the deductible as well as Xrays, lab tests, etc. It isn't great coverage but it will cover some meds and if anything truly horrible happens. Good luck!

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I recently found out about a federally funded program called PCIP. The applicant must be uninsured for the last 6 months and have a pre-existing condition to qualify. From what I remember the rates seemed Very reasonable compared to private insurance rates. Look into it maybe you guys will qualify - or at least your husband if he is on meds and has health issues. www.pcip.ca.gov. Good luck!

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I know when we were without insurance, I was able to find some pharmacy discount cards... it did help some, anyway. There was no charge for those cards, and they saved usually 10-40%, depending on the medication.

Also, check with his physician... sometimes they have samples they will give you. There are also some programs through the pharmaceutical companies that will supply the meds at a lower cost (or free) if you qualify.

In Texas, there are some low-cost clinics that charge you on a sliding fee scale, and also have a pharmacy attached, so they can supply medications at a lower cost. My daughter uses one of those. I really have no idea what the name would be in California, though (In central Texas, it is called "Lone Star Circle of Care" ..... it actually started in my community, by a few retired doctors ( from my church, I believe)....

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I would call your State's medi-cal anyway.
Doesn't hurt to ask further, than what is on the website.
You are both un-employed... tell them that.

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Apply for medi-cal and just see what they say. Can't hurt. My husband and I both have plans that we pay for out of pocket with Blue Cross. I am very pleased with our coverages. My husband's plan costs us $238 per month; mine is a little more at $316. We don't, however, have any pre-existing or chronic health issues and neither of us take any meds so I guess we probably got a good rate because of that. I always say we must be our insurer's favorite clients because we've been paying for years and I've only been to the doc once and my hubby never! Sometimes I want to quit paying, but I know as soon as I let the policies lapse, one or the other of us will get some horrible disease and we'll end up losing everything to pay the medical bills! If medi-cal does turn you down for full medi-cal, you might be able to get prescription coverage to cover your husbands regular meds. Check out Blue Shield, it was the ONLY insurance plan I found that we could afford that would really help if we needed it.

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Apply for medi-cal anyway. It's better to apply and get turned down than to figure you don't qualify when you do. You might be surprised.

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unless it is subsidized by government you are not going to find a health plan that cost less than your reoccurring health costs. In other words any company is going to start with what your husband's meds cost and then add in for other potential costs. So if his meds are your only potential health issues you are better off just paying them out of pocket or finding a prescription plan.

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See if your husband's medicine can be at a discounted rate through the pharmaceutical company. Sometimes they will give free/reduced price depending on finances.

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What state are you in?

If you find some, let me know. We've been uninsured our entire adult working lives for that reason (over 20 years). I've got a brand new $1200 emergency room bill on my desk from my son's latest stitches, and we recently finished paying off three child deliveries out of pocket (took over 5 years). Oh, yeah, and we had $500 worth of bills this month with family Doctor because of a boo boo and all my kids getting Hand Foot Mouth Disease. Not EVERY month costs us $2000, but some months do....we keep a nice tab going. At least we can make payments smaller than what insurance costs.

I will be interested to read the replies to this. I have applied, and been turned down, for medicaid (I'm in Idaho now) 3 times. I have 7 and 3 year old boys, and no medical. I know I can go to the emergency room and they wont turn me away, but already have a $531 bill from the 7 year olds last asthma attack. I can't imagine what to do...

Apply anyway!! They usually take more into consideration, then what is listed on the site. Most importantly, they will take into consideration you are out of work.