In the middle of the current economic crisis, many folks find themselves in a tough spot when it comes to medical insurance. They were covered under a medical insurance policy when they were employed, but now have lost that insurance when they lost their job. The federal programs designed to reduce the cost of carrying their insurance after unemployment (known as COBRA) has helped for some, but eventually even COBRA eligibility runs out. When that happens, you can be in a real bind.

Fortunately, there may be some things you can do. If you’re unemployed without medical insurance, here are some steps to get on the road to finding insurance:

1. Explore your options. Talk to your local unemployment office or other state agencies about what options you might have available to you.

2. Examine state-run programs. Some states have medical insurance policies available to cover unemployed individuals. In some cases, they may have a premium associated with them, but in other cases they may not.

3. Look into Medicaid. If you have a family with young children, your children may qualify for Medicaid. In many states, parents of children on Medicaid also qualify for Medicaid coverage.

4. Talk to an insurance agent. Some medical insurance policies are available for purchase. There are some that cover only the most expensive kinds of medical disasters, and these can be reasonably priced.

5. If you need prescription medications, talk to your doctor about samples. Drug companies provide samples to doctors offices for many types of medications, and this may be a way for you to get your medication at no cost.

6. Talk to local charities. There are local charities in many areas that can help with medical costs. Community health organizations, for example, may provide free health clinics at which you can receive basic medical services.

7. Don’t wait. While Congress debates the health insurance situation, you can’t put your own health care on hold. It will likely be a long time before any federal medical insurance program kicks in, so don’t wait for that to happen. Take care of your medical needs now.

Photo via philcampbell