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Safety-net
A medical safety-net is a combination of programs and services offered
through state and local government, agencies, hospitals, and clinics.
It may provide uninsured and under-served consumers primary health,
dental, mental health, and substance abuse care based on their ability
to pay. Sometimes it can provide help with prescription medications
and transportation and referrals to specialists; however, it offers
little or no specialist care or help for chronic or acute disease
and illness. Safety-net services vary from county to county. Call
you local Health Department or Department of Social Services to
find out what resources are available in your area.
Main safety-net resources:
- County Health Departments provide a variety
of basic health services for uninsured and medically under-served
residents. Fees are based upon a sliding scale (determined by person’s
income). There are 23 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)
with sliding scale discounts for primary care and 89 county/rural
health depts. (those not part of FQHCs) and clinics with sliding
scale for primary care. To find your nearest County Health Department,
visit http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm
or call your local Department of Social Services.
- Community Clinics provide a variety of
basic health services for uninsured and medically under-served residents.
If a patient has no health insurance coverage, services are available
on a sliding scale basis or at no charge, depending upon income. To find community health care clinics in your area, contact
you local Department of Social Services or visit www.tennhelp.com for a county-by-county listing. Mental Health: Regional
Mental Health Institutes through the state’s Dept. of Mental
Health @ http://state.tn.us/mental/mhs/mhs2.html. More info online @ http://www.state.tn.us/mental/and
through the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Tennessee @ www.namitn.org.
- Hospitals: Only a couple of hospitals
are officially categorized as safety-net hospitals. The reality
is that when people have serious and/or chronic illness and don’t
have health care coverage, they seek care where they can get it—this
often means at the local hospital. Tennesseans have the legal right
to request and receive a hospital’s charity care policy. One
should always ask for the hospital’s charity care policy,
should not hesitate to request financial assistance for care, and
should be aware that there are limits as to how much a hospital
can charge an uninsured patient.
- Prescription assistance programs offered
by drug companies, more information can be found by searching the
Internet, search "prescription assistance programs."
Private
Insurance:
- Group insurance: usually obtained through work (a.k.a.
Employer Sponsored Insurance, ESI) Contact your employer’s
human resources office to ask if health insurance is available and
if you qualify to join the group plan.
- Individual Insurance: There
are different types of health insurance policies available for individuals
to purchase in Tennessee, ranging from comprehensive policies to
more limited major medical policies. For a list of companies that
offer individual health plans, go to http://www.tennessee.gov/commerce/insurance/consumerRes.shtml
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