TOOL KIT FOR THE UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED

Find low-cost health care in your area.

If you find yourself without health insurance or are unable to afford medical services for any reason, don't hesitate to speak with your health care provider about establishing a payment plan or her/his willingness to discount her/his fees. You should not feel awkward about doing this; this is not an unusual practice.

Artist's Health Insurance Resource Center
An excellent online resource for finding leads to affordable, quality health insurance in your area is the Artist's Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) [www.ahirc.org].

Originally created in 1998 by The Actor's Fund of America as a health insurance resource for people in the entertainment industry, AHIRC has since expanded to include resources for the self-employed, low-income workers, the under-insured, the uninsured who require medical care and many other groups.

Cover the Uninsured Guide to Finding Health Insurance in Your State
Another excellent source of leads to health care options in your area is the state-by-state information page of the "Cover the Uninsured Week" Web site at www.covertheuninsuredweek.org/stateguides. Available in both Spanish and English.

The Health Assistance Partnership
Visit the Web site of the Health Assistance Partnership [www.healthassistancepartnership.org] for information regarding legal rights to treatment and free information on Medicare, Medicare drug coverage, Medicaid and low-income benefits, supplemental coverage and long-term care. For a state-by-state guide to low-cost health centers in medically underserved areas, visit the federal Bureau of Primary Health Care Web site at www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc for more information.