Resources and Publications

How to Survive the Cutback in Parents Medicaid Coverage What Parents and Medicaid Advocates Should Know About Keeping Coverage

Publications are available in Web Page (HTML) or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).  (Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the PDF documents)

2009 Federal Poverty Guidelines

How to find health care and pay for it

Links to Columbus Health Department
  Community Health Information

Health, Dental, Vision Care and Prescription Assistance (in English, Spanish, Somali)

Pregnant Women (in English, Spanish, Somali)
 

Statewide fact sheet on Hospital Care Assurance Program
 

Apply for the Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP), which provides free hospital care to people with incomes at or below the federal poverty level. All Columbus hospitals have agreed to accept this form. When using the Spanish version, be sure that the English version is copied on the back for hospital staff. 
 

Looking for community health center in your area? Go to http://ohiopca.org/ and click on the "Ohio's FQHCs" button to find a Federally Qualified Health Center near you. 
 

Looking for a free clinic in your area? Go to 
www.ohiofreeclinics.org  and click on "Current Members" to find a free clinic near you.

Columbus Hospital Clinics Offering Financial Assistance
Free Health Care at Hospitals in Columbus
2009 Federal Poverty Guidelines
Health Coverage for Uninsured Immigrants
Ohio Prescription Drug Fair Pricing Act

Newsletters/E-Updates

Newsletter Archives E-Update Archives

How to find affordable prescription drugs

For People on Medicare: to see whether you will benefit from a medicare discount card, go to www.medicare.gov or call:
1-800-MEDICARE, or
1-800-686-1578, OSHIIP - Ohio's assistance program for seniors, or
Benefits Check Up RX (see below), or
Golden Buckeye from Ohio Department of Aging (see below)

$600 CREDIT FOR SOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES THROUGH 2005:
People with incomes at or below 135% poverty* (regardless of assets) can get a $600 credit for 2004 if enrolled by December 31, 2004, and another $600 credit for 2005.
*$12,569 (single individual in 2004); $16,862 (married individual in 2004) (see Golden Buckeye Medicare Approved Card, below)

FOR PEOPLE ON MEDICARE OR OVER 60:
Golden Buckeye Program of Ohio Department of Aging: For people 60 and older or totally disabled, Golden Buckeye offers two options for prescription drug savings. Call 1-866-301-6446 or visit www.GoldenBuckeyeMedicare.com: 
1. Golden Buckeye Card: Free, doesn't expire, saves average 24% from pharmacy price; can be used along with a Medicare-approved drug card and Ohio's Best RX (you can use one or the other to get the best price); 
2. Medicare-approved Golden Buckeye drug card: $20 annual fee; $600 credit available for low-income seniors (see above); after you use up the credit, pay $0-$15 per monthly prescription from 8 drug makers. 

FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES: 
Benefits Checkup RX, from the National Council on Aging, contains a screening tool for prescription assistance programs that includes both national and state-specific programs. After indicating what programs the applicant is eligible for, you can print out applications for the various programs: http://bcuoe.benefitscheckup.org/ 
 

• Ohio's Best RX Card is free
• Simple one-page application
• No need to submit additional documents.

For more information on access to prescription drugs, call UHCAN Ohio, or email crudolph@uhcanohio.org.