Help my uninsured brother get treatment in Portland, OR
March 31, 2012 4:14 PM Subscribe
Please help my 25 year old, uninsured brother get medical attention in Portland, OR for what we think is a hernia. Time is of the essence because he absolutely needs to get this taken care of before returning to Alaska in late May to fish for the summer.
My parents are trying to get him back on their insurance, but there is a 6 month waiting period. What are some resources in or around Portland? What can I do to help him seek medical attention and go to appointments? He is staying with me, but he is a bit of a transient and abuses drugs and alcohol and could leave at any moment. He is clearly frightened about this hernia because he gets very upset whenever anyone in the family brings it up, so how can I not scare him away? Especially since he is very stubborn, and I'm sure would go to Alaska despite the hernia. He has zero money. I have a car, but not a lot of free time with school and work?
Thanks!
My parents are trying to get him back on their insurance, but there is a 6 month waiting period. What are some resources in or around Portland? What can I do to help him seek medical attention and go to appointments? He is staying with me, but he is a bit of a transient and abuses drugs and alcohol and could leave at any moment. He is clearly frightened about this hernia because he gets very upset whenever anyone in the family brings it up, so how can I not scare him away? Especially since he is very stubborn, and I'm sure would go to Alaska despite the hernia. He has zero money. I have a car, but not a lot of free time with school and work?
Thanks!
Best answer: First thought is simply ER. Should be able to get treatment there. I don't know how the whole "not paying for it" works, but every time healthcare comes up in the news it sounds like that's pretty much endemic, so.. maybe somehow?
Also, awhile back Portland Monthly had a list of free/low cost clinics in it, and I compiled the list in text to pass around to friends/others. This is over a year old now, so I don't know how current this is, but:
The 13 clinics that make up the COALITION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINICS (coalitionclinics.org) are all located in Multnomah County. Some serve specific populations (homeless youth, Native Americans) while others focus on specialties like chiropractic or complementary medicine, but all will provide care, even if patients hvae no money.
MERCY & WISDOM (2 NW Third Ave; 503-227.1222; mercyandwisdom.org), staffed in part by fourth-year students from the National College of Natural Medicine, provides complementary therapies (acupuncture, nutritional counseling) as well as dental and vision care. Patients pay on a sliding scale ($20-$50 per visit) and get a reduced rate on lab work.
THE OREGON PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION (orpca.org) is a coalition of federally qualified clinics at 150 sites throughout the state. Member clinics offer top-notch medical care for low-income or un- or underinsured individuals. Clinics serve everybody, regardless of ability to pay.
PROJECT ACCESS NOW (projectaccessnow.org) is a two-year-old program that connects low-income folks with a network of volunteer specialists, clinics, and hospitals in the Portland metro area. If you qualify (you must earn 200 percent or less of the federal proverty level), your care--including diagnostic procedures and operations--is free. There is also a prescription drug benefit.
ZOOMCARE (zoomcare.com) now runs seven clinics around the city; ultra-modern, efficient, and relatively aaffordable. Schedule online for same-day visits ($89) for everyday health problems like ear or urinary tract infections; you can also get more intensive procedures such as skin biopsies and sutures. Prices are listed on the website, so there are no surprises: a complete physical is $159; a flu vaccine, $28. The clinics also run basic lab tests--pregnancy, strep, ulcers, mono-- for $10 to $20.
posted by curious nu at 4:39 PM on March 31, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also, awhile back Portland Monthly had a list of free/low cost clinics in it, and I compiled the list in text to pass around to friends/others. This is over a year old now, so I don't know how current this is, but:
The 13 clinics that make up the COALITION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINICS (coalitionclinics.org) are all located in Multnomah County. Some serve specific populations (homeless youth, Native Americans) while others focus on specialties like chiropractic or complementary medicine, but all will provide care, even if patients hvae no money.
MERCY & WISDOM (2 NW Third Ave; 503-227.1222; mercyandwisdom.org), staffed in part by fourth-year students from the National College of Natural Medicine, provides complementary therapies (acupuncture, nutritional counseling) as well as dental and vision care. Patients pay on a sliding scale ($20-$50 per visit) and get a reduced rate on lab work.
THE OREGON PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION (orpca.org) is a coalition of federally qualified clinics at 150 sites throughout the state. Member clinics offer top-notch medical care for low-income or un- or underinsured individuals. Clinics serve everybody, regardless of ability to pay.
PROJECT ACCESS NOW (projectaccessnow.org) is a two-year-old program that connects low-income folks with a network of volunteer specialists, clinics, and hospitals in the Portland metro area. If you qualify (you must earn 200 percent or less of the federal proverty level), your care--including diagnostic procedures and operations--is free. There is also a prescription drug benefit.
ZOOMCARE (zoomcare.com) now runs seven clinics around the city; ultra-modern, efficient, and relatively aaffordable. Schedule online for same-day visits ($89) for everyday health problems like ear or urinary tract infections; you can also get more intensive procedures such as skin biopsies and sutures. Prices are listed on the website, so there are no surprises: a complete physical is $159; a flu vaccine, $28. The clinics also run basic lab tests--pregnancy, strep, ulcers, mono-- for $10 to $20.
posted by curious nu at 4:39 PM on March 31, 2012 [4 favorites]
As far as the social aspect, I don't know; I've dealt with getting depressed folk places, which involves making the appointment and driving them there myself, going in, helping with paperwork, sometimes going into the exam room as well, so that the person doesn't have to do much besides walk. It's probably what I'd try in this case but the "maybe will just up and leave" might throw a wrench in that.
posted by curious nu at 4:53 PM on March 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by curious nu at 4:53 PM on March 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: That's a great list, curious nu. Thanks so much.
posted by Corduroy at 5:29 PM on March 31, 2012
posted by Corduroy at 5:29 PM on March 31, 2012
Perhaps go to the websites of hospitals in the area and look for which ones offer financial assistance? There are some hospitals that have need-based programs for this kind of thing.
I don't know if ER would be the best choice, he may not get an operation on it unless it is serious (cutting off intestines, for example).
posted by Anonymous at 6:37 PM on March 31, 2012
I don't know if ER would be the best choice, he may not get an operation on it unless it is serious (cutting off intestines, for example).
posted by Anonymous at 6:37 PM on March 31, 2012
I would advise against going to the ER. Unless he is actually having an emergency, they will simply ensure he's stable and have a case manager work with him to schedule further evaluation/surgery. This would put you back in the same predicament since he'd still have no insurance.
posted by pecanpies at 9:01 PM on March 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pecanpies at 9:01 PM on March 31, 2012 [1 favorite]
He may want to reach out to the Providence Health & Services medical system, which is Catholic owned and has service as part of its mission. An uninsured friend has been able to get treatment for a slow-moving cancer through Providence. She had to apply to get the care she's receiving, has had to depend on residents instead of full-fledged board certified doctors some of the time, and seems to have longer waits between appointments than people with insurance would have. But she's still getting high-quality, life-saving care.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:31 PM on March 31, 2012
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:31 PM on March 31, 2012
The Rose City Resource guide is specifically geared towards low income / no insurance folks. Outside In has a super cheap clinic if your brother can be considered "under the age of 30 and homeless".
posted by cosmologinaut at 8:28 PM on April 1, 2012
posted by cosmologinaut at 8:28 PM on April 1, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Corduroy at 4:15 PM on March 31, 2012