Medicaid

• Some low-income people qualify for Medicaid, a state administered program available in all 50 states. Medicaid covers a variety of medical needs, including surgery.
  
  

Children's Health Insurance Program

• The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides health insurance to uninsured children from low-income families that do not qualify for Medicaid. It covers surgery for children.
  
  

Hill-Burton Act

• The Hill-Burton Act requires hospitals that received federal money for construction to provide a reasonable amount of free care to patients. Patients must have incomes at or below the poverty limit to qualify.
  
  

Discounts from Health Care Providers

• Health care providers sometimes offer discounted services to low-income patients. Most hospitals have programs to offer reduced cost care based on a patient's income, and many doctors provide low cost services for some patients. Patients in need should talk to their health care providers.
  
  

Private Foundations

• Private foundations sometimes help pay for surgery for low-income patients. For instance, the Lions Club helps patients pay for eye surgery. The Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund helps patients with insurance co-pays for cancer treatment, including cancer surgery.