Illnesses and other health conditions are unforeseen since we never expect to get sick or have a loved one suffer a serious medical condition; in addition to all the concern that comes with suffering from a disease, we cannot help but think about the financial resources necessary to meet medical expenses.
Several times we wonder if it is possible to get surgery for free because most of the time our pockets or medical insurance are not enough.
In our country, the federal government and local governments finance various social assistance programs that cover everything from all medical expenses to a part of them; everything will depend on the family’s conditions and the severity of the disease.
In this article, we explain some of the options for you to cover your surgery.
Options to get a free surgery
In order to get surgery for free and fulfill the qualification, you must demonstrate to your prospect provider that you do not have the financial resources necessary to cover the cost of a medical procedure on your own. As we mentioned earlier, public institutions offer this type of service, but you can also ask foundations for help.
Below we list some of the best-known options to attend to this sort of cases:
Insurances
Although when considering an insurance company, one of the first things that come to our minds is that we need an exorbitant amount of money to be able to pay for this service, it does not always have to be that way; there are health care programs that are more accommodating to our pockets where you could find a good option for you to consider.
Medicare
It is a health insurance program aimed at people above 65 years of age, disabled persons, and people who require dialysis treatment. If you are enrolled in any of the programs that Medicare offers, they may cover your surgery; it all depends on your healthcare insurance program.
However, they cover most medically necessary surgical procedures (according to the standards of medicine), so before having surgery you should check:
- If your surgery is part of medically necessary operations.
- The exact amount of what you must pay for surgery and postoperative care. You can ask your doctor or the hospital where you will be treated for this information.
- Once you know the surgery price, you can check online on the Medicare page if you have reached your deductibles or go to the nearest office and ask for information.
- You should also check if you can have surgery in an outpatient clinic or a hospital since the amount can vary.
In the case of cosmetic surgeries, they are generally not covered by Medicare. However, if you require them for a specific medical condition, there can be an exception.
If you don’t have Medicare and would like to know if you may be eligible, you can check here.
➔ READ MORE: Does Medicaid Cover Hernia Surgery?
Medicaid
Although sometimes many people tend to confuse Medicaid with Medicare since both are federally funded programs, Medicaid aims to help low-income people finance their medical expenses.
Such as Medicare, depending on the type of program you have and your health condition, you can opt for surgery for free. If you want to check if you are eligible, we recommend contacting your local Medicaid office and asking for information about it.
If you want to apply for Medicaid benefits, you can check if you meet the eligibility requirements.
PLUS: They also offer an insurance program for children called The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Foundations
If you are urgent and need help as soon as possible, perhaps foundations are the best option for you to opt for free surgery.
The HealthWell Foundation is one of the most popular non-profit organizations in our country; since 2004, they have provided help to people who do not have enough money nor health insurance coverage to pay for their medical expenses. However, in order to qualify and receive the help, it is necessary that:
a) you have medical insurance (it can be Medicaid or Medicare)
b) your illness is covered and
c) that the family income is up to 500% lower than the federal level of poverty.
For children, the Family Voices Foundation offers help to families with children who have rare diseases or disabilities.