Recessionproof Your Health Care

Recent unemployment statistics are enough to cause our stomach to plummet almost as much as the economy — more than 2.6 million jobs were lost last year, according to the U.S. Labor Department, with a half-million of those eliminated in December alone. For those who also face the loss of health insurance, Adam Goldstein, M.D., professor of family medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, offers these tips:

• Look into the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), a federal law that allows former employees to choose to continue coverage for themselves and their families at the cost of the premium — usually more than one paid as an employee, but sometimes less than individual coverage.
• Explain your situation to your primary-care physician. “Many physicians will work something out — it cannot hurt to ask,” Goldstein says. Some charge on a sliding scale based on income, usually with a minimum fee of at least $20.
• Shop around for a pharmacy, since prices for prescriptions vary considerably more than for over-the-counter drugs, Goldstein says. He also recommends looking into the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, which offers access to public and private patient-assistance programs, as well as about 180 programs from pharmaceutical companies.
• Check out the National Association of Community Health Centers website for a federally funded health-care center near you.

In this economic climate, losing health coverage is a scary prospect. What steps would you take if you lost yours? Are you hoping for health-care reform?

Tags: Adam Goldstein, Chapel Hill School, Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Economics, health, Health economics, Health insurance, Health/Medical/Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare in the United States, Healthcare reform, Healthcare reform in the United States, Labor, North Carolina, professor of family medicine, Social Issues, Socioeconomics, U.S. Labor Department, Unemployment, University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine