Finding Affordable Medical Care

Many people who need affordable legal representation also find themselves in need of affordable health care.  Whether or not you are covered by “ObamaCare,” finding affordable health care options can be challenging, particularly for the uninsured or the under-insured.

YOUR BEST PATH TO GOOD HEALTH:

Your best defense to disease is to eat a good diet, regularly exercise, and get a sufficient amount of sleep. Maintaining good dental care is also key.

VACCINATIONS:

Drug store chains, Target, and Costco among others offer low-cost vaccinations. Click here to see what Walgreens offers as one possible option. (Note: this is not an endorsement of Walgreens over any other chain drug store or mass merchandiser.)

PRESCRIPTION SAVINGS FOR PEOPLE AND PETS:

Costco has a Costco Member Prescription Program which is free for uninsured members and for insured members whose prescriptions are not covered by insurance. Enroll at any Costco pharmacy and receive lower costs for all prescription drugs including medications for your pets!

DENTAL CARE:

University of Pacific San Francisco is a top dental school in the U.S. Student dentists offer dental services under the supervision of the faculty.  Patients can receive everything from dental hygiene care to dental surgery in addition to an interest-free line of credit for certain services.

University of California San Francisco dental school also offers dental services through their highly reputable dental school.

PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FACILITIES:

Click here for a list of public health care facilities in Alameda County. 

Highland Hospital also has a same day health clinic for uninsured, under-insured, and insured patients.

HIV AND STD TESTING:

Click here for a list of testing facilities and call them for associated costs.

PREVENTING HIV INFECTION:

Recently, advertisements on BART invited people age 18 to 65 to participate in clinical trial studies of the new PrEP vaccination. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is currently offered in pill form and is taken daily to prevent HIV infection.  To learn more about PrEP, click here.

CARE FOR WOMEN’S ISSUES:

Women can get a gynecological and a breast screening exam at Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood charges patients on a sliding scale and can also refer the patient to a radiology service for low-cost mammograms.

The state of California runs the “EveryWoman Counts” program which provides gynecological, breast screening exams, and pap tests at no cost to women earning under a certain income level, who are 40+ years old, are uninsured, and who are not covered by MediCal.

Sutter Health (CPMC) offers an “African-American and Sister-to-Sister Breast Health Program” to women age 40+ if women meet certain criteria.

RADIOLOGY:

NorCal Imaging is a radiology service in the Bay Area that offers discounted radiology services.

CONCLUSION:

While this is not an all inclusive list for Bay Area residents, perhaps it will help start you in the right direction toward finding affordable care.