Health insurance help (no rude comments please)?

Question

My friend is a 20 year old student. He used to be included under his dad's insurance policy, but just a week or two ago, his dad lost his job because the company was cutting down the size of its employees. Last night, my friend twisted his knee while playing basketball. He injured the same knee last summer too, which I think made the knee more vulnerable to injury. My friend is a nursing student, and according to his professor, he won't be able to participate in his clinical rotation and would need a doctor's note saying that he's can go to his clinicals before he can work in the hospital.

My question is, how can he get that doctor's note if he currently doesn't have insurance? What can he do? Is there any programs or anything that he can avail or use for free or for a reasonable price since he is a legal US citizen?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Your friend's knee isn't the only problem.  Most clinical programs that I'm aware of require the student to be insured.

The doctor's note is the easy part - your friend could just pay cash for a doctor appointment.  (Most offices will negotiate a cash price with a patient.)

Since the nursing school likely requires him to be insured to be part of the clinical program, he should check to see whether there is a student health insurance program offered through his university.  He'll have to pay a premium - nothing is free, unless you qualify for Medicaid.

His best bet would be a student program through his school that would consider his loss of prior insurance as a "qualifying event".  Any private insurance wouldn't cover his injury, because it would be a pre-existing condition and likely excluded.

He should also confirm whether he's eligible for COBRA through his father's employer.  (COBRA premiums are expensive though, but if he has to be insured to go through clinicals and can't get on the student plan, it may be one of his only options.)

Answer 2

He'll have to go to the doctor, get the note, and pay him.  

If his dad took COBRA, he still has coverage.   Likely, he's not going to qualify for welfare health insurance (medicaid).  He could also see if there's a local county clinic.  

You don't NEED insurance to see a doctor.  Cash works just fine.

Answer 3

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