How to Find a Free Health Clinic

Healthcare centers are obligated to treat those individuals that live below the poverty line, whether they can pay for the care or not. Congress passed a law in 1946 providing hospitals, nursing homes and similar sites with grants and loans for their facilities in return for giving low-income populations free or reduced-cost healthcare services. This law still applies today for at least 300 facilities across the United States.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Health Centers

1. Log onto the federal government website for the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration.
2. Click on the tab labeled "Find Help."
3. Click on the link "Find the Health Center Closest to You." These health and dental care facilities must treat you whether or not you have health or dental insurance and whether or not you can pay for the healthcare.
4. Select the state in which you live from the drop-down menu where provided.
5. Click on the county or the city in which you live or select the option of "ALL Counties" to see all of the healthcare centers in your state that offer free or low-cost healthcare.
6. Click the tab "Show Me My Health Centers" to show the list created by the site according to the options you have chosen.

Hill-Burton Free and Reduced-Cost Care

7. Log onto the federal government website for the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration.
8. Click on the tab labeled "Find Help."
9. Click on the "More About Hill-Burton and Find Facilities in Your State" link provided on the website.
10. Follow the steps provided to apply for Hill-Burton Free or Reduced-Cost Care.
11. Find a facility participating in Hill-Burton by clicking the "List of Hill-Burton Obligated Facilities" link.
12. Go to your nearest healthcare facility listed to obtain the necessary paperwork to apply.