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What to do if You Still Can't Find Tennessee Health Insurance

8. If you still can't find health insurance...

...you may be able to get some help from the following resources:

Low-Cost Primary Health Care

A local community health clinic may be able to help you get low-cost primary health care. These clinics offer health services for the entire community on a sliding-scale basis. You can check for a community health clinic near you at www.bphc.hrsa.gov or by calling the Tennessee Primary Care Association at 615.329.3836.

Help with Hospital Bills

If you are uninsured and have to go to the hospital to get care, you may be able to receive some help paying your hospital bills. Some nonprofit hospitals are required to provide help because of their mission and tax status. Some states have laws that require hospitals to provide care for free or at reduced prices to people who are eligible. In addition, many hospitals have financial assistance programs. There are also some federal laws that can help you. If you receive a bill, it's important that you make an effort to pay. Ask to speak with a financial counselor or a patient advocate at the hospital. You may be able to negotiate a lower bill or a better bill payment plan.

State Pharmacy Assistance Programs

Tennessee has a program, CoverRX, to help qualifying individuals with their prescription drug costs. To qualify, you must be a low-income resident of Tennessee (U.S. citizen or qualified alien) between the ages of 19 and 64 with no other prescription drug coverage. To find out more about the program, contact CoverRX, part of the Cover Tennessee program, at 1.866.COVERTN or visit www.covertn.gov.

You may also qualify for other programs that can help you with drug costs, health care costs and other expenses. The National Council on Aging's Web site, www.benefitscheckup.org, has a questionnaire that you can fill out to learn about a variety of state-based services for which you might qualify. Although the site focuses on services for those over 65, many of the programs are available to younger individuals as well.

Other Free or Discounted Prescription Drug Programs

You may be eligible for a free or discounted prescription drug program through the company that makes the drugs you need. You can get more information about these programs at www.rxassist.org and www.needymeds.com.

Some programs you may be eligible for include:

Pfizer Helpful Answers - This is a family of programs to help people without prescription drug coverage save on many Pfizer medicines, no matter their age or income.
1.866.706.2400
www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com

Merck Patient Assistance and Prescription Discount Programs - These programs provide free and discounted Merck medicines to patients who cannot afford their prescribed medicines.
www.merckhelps.com

Veterans' Assistance

If you are a veteran, you may be entitled to care and prescription drug coverage through a VA medical facility. You may be eligible for assistance if you served on active duty and have an honorable or general discharge. Contact the VA Health Benefits Service Center toll-free at 1.877.222.VETS or visit www.va.gov/health.

Coverage by Region:

Resources:

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Tennessee Health Guide Pages:

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