Who it’s for and what people take away
Adults who have no cover, not enough cover, or a gap while they wait for it, and the staff and volunteers who help them find care.
By the end, people can:
- name the kinds of low-cost and free care that exist where they live, from community health centers to pharmacists and advice lines.
- explain how a sliding-scale fee works and what to bring to show income.
- use a short script to call a clinic and ask what it charges, who it sees and what to bring.
- find the official finder or advice line for their country, using the handout.
Before the session
- Read this whole kit and the country block for where you are teaching, and open each official link once so you know what the pages look like.
- Look up, using the official finder on the country handout, two or three low-cost services near the venue, so you can show the room how the search works. Don’t recommend one over another.
- Print one handout (with the right country block) and one worksheet per person, plus a few spares.
- Check the room has a projector or large screen and, if you can, an internet connection to show the official finder live.
- Write the emergency number and the free health advice line from the handout on a flip chart before people arrive.
- Ask the host whether anyone needs large print, an interpreter or extra time, and plan for it.
You will need
- Projector or large screen with the slides
- Internet connection to show the official finder (optional)
- Printed handouts with the country block for where you are teaching
- Printed worksheets
- Pens
- Flip chart or whiteboard and markers
Run sheet
60 minutes. Slide numbers refer to the deck.
Session timings| Starts | Length | What happens |
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| 0:00 | 5 min | Welcome and ground rulesSlides 1–2Introduce yourself and Moraph for Good. Explain that the session is general information about where to find care, not medical advice, and that nobody will be asked about their health, income or status.Say: “Today is about where to go when cost is the problem. I won’t tell anyone what care they need, but I will show you the places that exist and how to ask about price.” |
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| 0:05 | 10 min | The places low-cost care comes fromSlides 3–5Walk through the kinds of low-cost care: community health centers, free and charitable clinics, sliding-scale clinics, pharmacists, advice lines and public programs. Then explain how a sliding scale works with the made-up example.Say: “Not having cover, or not enough, doesn’t mean there is nowhere to go. It means you need to know which door to knock on.” |
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| 0:15 | 7 min | Here, in this countrySlides 6–7Hand out the handout. Go through the country block, then show the official finder or service directory on screen if you have a connection.Say: “Everything I say about this country comes from the official sources printed on your handout.” |
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| 0:22 | 5 min | Questions to ask before you goSlides 8–9Go through the questions to ask on the phone and what to bring. Point out that asking about cost is normal and expected.Say: “Front desk staff are asked about cost all day. You won’t be the first person to ask, and you won’t be the last.” |
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| 0:27 | 18 min | Activity: the practice callSlides 10–11Run the activity in pairs. One person plays the clinic, one plays the caller, using the script on the worksheet. Swap halfway. Walk around and help.Say: “Use made-up details. The point is to get comfortable asking, so the real call feels easier.” |
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| 0:45 | 5 min | When it can’t waitSlides 12Explain the difference between urgent advice, urgent care and emergencies, and point to the numbers on the flip chart.Say: “If it might be an emergency, get help first. Cost comes afterwards.” |
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| 0:50 | 10 min | Questions and closeSlides 13–14Take questions, using the common questions in this kit. Point people to the country block and the official sources for anything specific.Say: “If I can’t answer something, the official sources on your handout can, and I would rather point you there than guess.” |
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The practice call
18 minutes, using the worksheet.
- Put people in pairs and hand out the worksheet. One person is the caller, the other is the clinic’s front desk.
- The caller uses the script on the worksheet to ask: are you taking new patients, what does a visit cost, do you have a sliding scale or reduced fee, and what should I bring?
- The front desk answers using the made-up clinic card on the worksheet, and can say “I don’t know, let me check” for anything not on it.
- The caller notes the answers in the table on the worksheet.
- After about seven minutes, swap roles and repeat with the second made-up clinic card.
- Bring the room back together for the debrief.
Questions for the room afterwards
- Which question felt hardest to ask out loud, and why?
- What would you want to have in front of you before making the real call?
- If the first clinic can’t help, where would you try next?
Take care
General information, never advice about one person’s situation, and nothing to sell.
- Never ask anyone about their health, income, insurance or immigration status, and don’t read worksheets unless invited.
- Never recommend one clinic, provider or service over another. Show how to use the official finder and let people choose.
- Never give medical advice or say whether something is urgent. Point to the emergency number or the free advice line on the handout.
- Don’t promise that a service is free or will see someone. Fees and rules vary, which is why the session teaches people to call and ask.
- Don’t name charities or commercial discount schemes as if they were official. Stick to the official sources on the handout.
Questions people ask
Will a clinic turn me away if I can’t pay?
It depends on the clinic and the country. Some publicly funded centers see people whatever their ability to pay; others can’t. Call ahead and ask. The handout lists the official finder for where you live.
What is a sliding-scale fee?
A fee that goes down as income goes down. The clinic usually asks for proof of income and household size, so ask what to bring when you call.
Do I need papers or a health card to get care?
The rules differ by country and by service. The country handout says what applies, and many services can tell you on the phone before you go.
Can a pharmacist help instead of a doctor?
For many minor problems, a pharmacist can give advice and tell you whether you need to see a doctor. They can’t replace a doctor for everything, so ask them.
What if I don’t speak the language well?
Ask for an interpreter when you call. Many services can arrange one, and some advice lines can connect you to an interpreter. The handout says what exists where you live.
Where you are teaching
The rules differ by country. Teach the shared material from the slides, then use the block for the country you are in, and hand out that country’s sheet.
United States
- Community health centers. If you can’t afford a plan and don’t qualify for Medicaid or CHIP, you can get low-cost care at a community health center, where what you pay depends on your income. They offer primary care, prenatal care, children’s shots and referrals, including for mental health. The government’s Find a Health Center tool lists them.
- Medicaid and CHIP. Medicaid and CHIP give free or low-cost coverage to eligible people on low incomes. You can apply at any time of year, and Medicaid may help pay for care from the last three months, depending on income at the time.
- Emergency rooms. Under a federal law called EMTALA, a hospital emergency department can’t deny you a medical screening exam or treatment for an emergency medical condition because you don’t have insurance, can’t pay, or aren’t a US citizen.
- Hospital financial assistance. Nonprofit (tax-exempt) hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy covering emergency and other medically necessary care, offering free or discounted care to people who qualify. They must make it widely available, including a plain-language summary.
- Estimates if you’re paying yourself. If you don’t have or don’t use insurance, providers usually must give you a good faith estimate of the cost when you schedule care at least three business days ahead, or if you ask for one.
United Kingdom
- Register with a GP. Everyone in England can register with a GP surgery for free, online, in person or on a paper form. You only need to give basic details; you don’t need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status.
- NHS 111. If you need medical help now and can’t reach your GP, NHS 111 online or by phone can tell you where to go, such as an out-of-hours GP, a pharmacist or urgent dental help. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.
- Free to everyone. GP and nurse consultations, and A&E, walk-in centres, minor injuries units and urgent care centres, are free of charge to everyone in England, including overseas visitors.
- Help with prescriptions and other costs. Some people get free NHS prescriptions, such as people under 16 or aged 60 or over, or on certain benefits. If you pay for many prescriptions, a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) covers all of them for a set price.
- NHS Low Income Scheme. If you have a low income and limited savings, you can apply to the NHS Low Income Scheme for full help (an HC2 certificate) or partial help (an HC3 certificate) with health costs.
Canada
- Walk-in clinics. Anyone who doesn’t have a family doctor can go to a walk-in clinic for non-urgent care. A walk-in clinic might charge fees if you don’t live in that province or territory.
- Emergencies. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital. Emergency medical services in hospitals are free, even if you don’t have a health card, though there may be restrictions depending on immigration status.
- Community health centres. In Ontario, Community Health Centres are non-profit organizations that provide primary care with a focus on people who face barriers to care, including people who don’t have health insurance.
- Health advice lines. Some provinces run health advice lines. In British Columbia, for example, HealthLink BC on 8-1-1 offers health advice and can connect you to a health professional, with translation in many languages.
- Dental care. The Canadian Dental Care Plan helps make dental care more affordable for eligible Canadian residents. To qualify you must, among other things, have no access to dental insurance, have filed a tax return in Canada and have a family income under the plan’s limit. There is no fee to apply.
Australia
- Bulk billing. If a doctor bulk bills, Medicare pays the full cost and you pay nothing. Not all doctors bulk bill, and some only bulk bill people with a concession or health care card, so ask before you book.
- Public hospitals. Anyone with a Medicare number can get free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital, including its emergency department.
- Free health advice line. The healthdirect helpline, 1800 022 222 (NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria), has registered nurses available 24 hours a day who can tell you whether to see a GP, manage at home or go to an emergency department. Call charges may apply from mobiles.
- Find a service. The healthdirect service finder lists GPs, pharmacies, urgent care services, hospitals and emergency departments near you.
- Medicines and safety nets. PBS-listed medicines cost less when you show your Medicare card, and the PBS Safety Net lowers the cost further once you have spent a set amount in a calendar year. The Medicare Safety Nets give more back to people with high out-of-hospital medical costs.