HN Explorer

Ask HN: Need immediate medical help and uninsured, please advise!

22 points by needserioushelp ↗ HN
I've been unemployed for the last 3 years (was a software engineer before that). Am pretty close to broke now and over the past couple of weeks have come to believe that I have a very serious medical condition that needs immediate treatment, what should I do? This may or may not be an ER thing, but I just don't know what to do -- I don't have the $ for an ER or doctor visit. I live in California and have been on HN for like 6-7 years, but just created this profile to hide my identity.

21 comments

[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 57.2 ms ] thread
qwerty456127
I would try another country. There are many countries where medical assistance is much more affordable than in the US (while the quality is still very reasonable) and where you can easily buy comprehensive medical insurance that would cover a lot (and without any co-funding) without being employed. If you actually have almost no money so you can't even afford an airline ticket - then I don't know how to help you (I would buy you a ticket if I weren't broke too).
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
needserioushelp
What country would you suggest? I could probably swing a round trip ticket on a budget airline.
masonic
You can afford short-notice world travel, but you can't afford $1/month for a Covered CA policy?
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
needserioushelp
I applied for Covered CA during open enrollment and was rejected and was told to apply for Medi-cal. This was before my issue occurred. So more recently I applied to Medi-cal and haven't heard back (30 or so days ago), but my issue is now worsening and can't wait.
prolikewh0a
This isn't an immediate fix, but since you're unemployed, you should apply for state benefits and receive medicaid.

Call around for urgent care prices. Unfortunately in USA your choices are very limited on cheap medical care.

anoncoward111
Apply for Medi-Cal. Call a free nurse hotline and describe your symptoms and they can tell you what it might be. Consider a low cost clinic or college
nso95
A public hospital cannot refuse care
kp1
goto a non-emergency hospital, tell them no insurance. Get the help you need now, worry about bill later. They can't deny you because of no money or no insurance.
ddingus
They can stabilize and then hold back.

I would ask around as to which hospital has a good record. Did that once, and it mattered. May have lost the person in need at the time had I not.

throwaway413
Anecdotal: I just went to urgent care last week in SoCal (uninsured) and it was $145 out the door at one of the nicest clinics I’ve ever stepped foot in.

Best of luck to you.

[deleted]
(comment deleted)
cm2012
You can go to the ER with no ID and give a fake name. If it's a condition that can be disgnosed in an ER, they will help you anyway.
delbel
Call a clinic and ask for slinding scale, schedule an appointment. On the phone speak with a nurse and ask her for medical advice, and if you need to go to the er. Clinics can help you for very cheap or free depending on your income. I would avoid the er as much as posdible
jason_slack
I currently work in a hospital in the US. If you walk into an ER they have to treat you. If you are nervous just forget your ID.

However what can happen is they can treat you for something different that what you might have. I’m not sure how often this actually happens but I have read articles in the past about it

Spooky23
Call 211 and find out what your options are. If you’re truly broke, you’ll be able to get enough insurance to get treated.

If you’re not, get broke or pile on as much debt as possible and go bankrupt.

mmt
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it already, but, in California, find your county's health center (usually a hospital, often more than one facility).

Contact them, possibly by just going to their primary care (ideally walk-in) clinic, and asking for advice or just to be seen by a physician. Even their full price for services, for uninsured low-income individuals, will be low, and, because that's often their target demographic, they'll tend to have a high concencentration of experts familiar with things like Medi-Cal.