988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential support 24 hours a day for anyone in emotional distress or crisis. Call or text 988.
Healthcare and insurance
I need medical care or health coverage. Health coverage you may qualify for, and places that see people without insurance.
PublicAssistance.net is an independent informational website. It is not a government agency and cannot determine eligibility, approve benefits or accept applications. Confirm current information with the agency that administers the program. How this site works
Start here
The main pathways for healthcare, soonest help first.
Community health centers
Clinics that see people regardless of insurance and charge on a sliding scale based on income. A practical option while a coverage application is pending.
May be requested: Proof of income, if you want the sliding scale.
Find local help:
FreeClinicDirectory.org
— Free and sliding-scale clinics that see people without insurance.
FreeClinicDirectory.org is a separate directory site run by the same team. It opens in a new tab.
Medicaid
Free or very low-cost health coverage, run by your state. Who qualifies varies a great deal between states, so being turned down in one state says nothing about another.
May be requested: Proof of income, Proof of where you live, Immigration or citizenship documents where they apply, Social Security numbers for people applying.
CHIP (children's health insurance)
Low-cost health coverage for children in families that earn too much for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance. States set the limits and many are more generous than people assume.
May be requested: Proof of income, Children's birth certificates or ID, Proof of where you live.
Health Insurance Marketplace
Private plans with subsidies based on income. Losing a job or insurance usually opens a special enrolment window, so you may not have to wait for open enrolment.
May be requested: Estimated household income for the year, Details of any coverage offered by an employer, Social Security numbers.
Medicare
Health coverage for people 65 and over, and for some younger people with disabilities. Separate programmes can help with the premiums and prescription costs if money is tight.
May be requested: Medicare number if you have one, Proof of income for the assistance programmes.
Veterans benefits
Healthcare, disability compensation, pensions, housing help and education benefits for veterans and some family members. Worth checking even if you were told no in the past — rules have widened in recent years.
May be requested: DD214 or other discharge paperwork, Social Security number, Medical records.
Where you actually apply
Most of these are federal programs run by your state, so the application, the timeline and the office you deal with are all your state's. Pick your state to see its own pages and what it calls each program.
-
California
Full state guide with official application links.
-
Florida
Full state guide with official application links.
-
Texas
Full state guide with official application links.
Documents that may be requested
Requirements differ by state and program, and this is a superset rather than a checklist you must complete. Not having something is a reason to ask what the alternatives are, not a reason to give up on the application.
- Proof of income, if you want the sliding scale
- Proof of income
- Proof of where you live
- Immigration or citizenship documents where they apply
- Social Security numbers for people applying
- Children's birth certificates or ID
- Estimated household income for the year
- Details of any coverage offered by an employer
- Social Security numbers
- Medicare number if you have one
- Proof of income for the assistance programmes
- DD214 or other discharge paperwork
- Social Security number
- Medical records
Common mistakes, and how to avoid being scammed
- Nobody legitimate charges you to apply. Every program on this page is free to apply for. If a site or a person asks for a fee to file, or for a "processing payment", walk away.
- Assuming you earn too much. Limits are often higher than people expect, and several of these programs count income differently from how you might.
- Only applying for one thing. Several states decide food, cash and health coverage from one application, and applying for one can start the others.
- Waiting to have every document. Applying starts the clock. In most programs you can supply missing paperwork afterwards.
- Giving up after a refusal. Refusals are frequently overturned on appeal, and the letter you receive must tell you how to appeal and by when.
- Never share your Social Security number, bank details or benefit card PIN with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, by text, call or email — including anyone claiming to be from a benefits agency.
Directories that list local providers
This site does not hold a nationwide list of every local provider. These directories do, and each is a separate directory site run by the same team.
FreeClinicDirectory.org
— Free and sliding-scale clinics that see people without insurance.
Opens in a new tab. A separate directory site run by the same team.