Across the country there are clinics that see you regardless of your ability to pay, coverage programs you can apply to any time of year, and real people you can call today. Every resource below is a trusted, verified place to start — and where something costs money, we say so honestly.
These locators cover the whole country. Type in your ZIP code and they show you the nearest place that will see you — insured or not.
Community health centers provide primary medical and dental care to people of all ages, whether or not you have health insurance. Services are provided on a sliding fee scale based on your ability to pay — meaning you pay what you can afford, based on your income and family size. Type your ZIP code into HRSA’s official locator to find the health center closest to you.
Find a health center near youFree and charitable clinics are nonprofit, volunteer-powered clinics that provide medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, and behavioral health care at little or no cost, mostly to people who are uninsured or underinsured. Search the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics locator by city or ZIP code to find one near you.
Find a free or charitable clinicSome hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics across the country — 126 facilities on HRSA’s list as of December 2024 — are still legally obligated to give a certain amount of free or reduced-cost care each year to people whose income is at or below federal limits. You apply at the facility’s admissions or business office, and you can apply before or after you receive care. Not every state has an obligated facility, so call the hotline first to find one in your state.
At a teaching clinic, students do the work under the close supervision of licensed instructors. Visits take longer — but the price can be a fraction of a private office. Always call the school first to ask about its patient clinic and fees.
Dental schools run clinics where dental students do the work under the close supervision of licensed dentist instructors, and many limit what they charge to roughly the cost of materials — real savings, though visits take longer than at a regular dentist. Use the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation’s official program search (filter by DDS/DMD and your state) to find every accredited dental school, then call the school and ask about its patient clinic.
Find an accredited dental schoolDental hygiene programs at community colleges and universities run low-cost teaching clinics where hygiene students give cleanings, X-rays, and sealants under a licensed instructor’s supervision — appointments are cheap but long. The same official CODA search lists accredited dental hygiene programs (filter by “Allied” programs and your state); call the program to ask about its public clinic.
Find a dental hygiene programThere are 25 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States, and most run teaching eye clinics where optometry students examine patients under licensed optometrist supervision, usually at reduced fees and with longer, very thorough visits. Find the list of schools on the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s official site, then call the school near you to ask about its patient eye clinic and fees.
See the optometry school listStudent-run free clinics are staffed by medical, dental, pharmacy, and other health-profession students working under licensed supervising clinicians, and they provide care at no cost to people who could not otherwise afford it. The Society of Student-Run Free Clinics maintains a national map of roughly 477 student-run and student-involved clinics across the United States — a legitimate directory, though it notes the map is still being updated, so also check clinic details directly.
Open the clinic mapCoverage changes everything — and applying costs nothing. Medicaid and CHIP have no open enrollment period: you can apply any day of the year.
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provide free or low-cost health coverage to eligible low-income adults, families and children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities — and you can apply any time of year. Apply two ways: fill out an application at HealthCare.gov (which forwards you to your state if you qualify) or contact your state Medicaid agency directly.
HealthCare.gov call center1-800-318-2596 Apply through HealthCare.govInsureKidsNow.gov is the federal government’s site for getting kids and teens free or low-cost health and dental coverage through Medicaid and CHIP — millions of children and teens qualify. Call 1-877-KIDS-NOW to get connected to enrollment help in your state.
1-877-KIDS-NOW1-877-543-7669 InsureKidsNow.govFederal law (IRS Section 501(r)) requires every nonprofit, tax-exempt hospital to have a written financial assistance policy that says who qualifies for free or discounted care, and hospitals must make that policy widely available, including on their website and in paper form on request. If you get a hospital bill you can’t pay, ask the billing or admissions office for the “financial assistance policy” or “charity care application” — you can ask before or after you receive care.
The federal rule (IRS 501(r))If a prescription is the thing standing between you and your health, these two are the right doors to knock on.
NeedyMeds is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit with free information on patient assistance programs that provide prescriptions at low or no cost, a free drug discount card, and a finder for free, low-cost, and sliding-scale clinics. Call the toll-free helpline and a counselor will search for programs that fit your medicines and situation.
Toll-free helpline1-800-503-6897 Search NeedyMedsDrug manufacturers run patient assistance programs that give free or discounted medicine to people who qualify, and America’s Medicines is the pharmaceutical industry group PhRMA’s free search engine for finding assistance and other affordability programs that cover your prescription. It launched in January 2026 as the replacement for PhRMA’s old Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT), which is no longer online.
Search for your medicineYou do not have to be in crisis to reach out — and you never have to pay to talk to someone tonight.
Call or text 988, or chat online, any time you are struggling with your mental health, emotional distress, alcohol or drug concerns, or just need someone to talk to — trained, judgment-free counselors answer 24/7/365. It is completely free and confidential, and you do not have to be suicidal to reach out.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year information service in English and Spanish for people and families facing mental health or substance use problems. It refers you to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community organizations — you can also text your ZIP code to 435748 (HELP4U).
About the helplineFindTreatment.gov is SAMHSA’s confidential and anonymous official locator for mental health and substance use treatment across the United States. You can filter facilities by payments accepted, including ones that offer a sliding fee scale — you pay based on what you earn.
Find treatment near youSome of the strongest programs in the country serve specific groups. If one of these is you, start here.
Veterans can apply for VA health care online, by mail, in person at a VA medical center, or by calling the toll-free enrollment hotline (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET), and the VA usually decides in less than a week. For many veterans, care comes with low or no copays depending on income and service history.
Enrollment hotline — Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm ET877-222-8387 Apply for VA health careTitle X family planning clinics nationwide provide family planning and preventive services such as birth control, breast and cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and PrEP. Enter your ZIP code or city in the HHS Office of Population Affairs’ official clinic locator to find clinics near you, then call the clinic to ask about services and fees.
Find a family planning clinicThe federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds HIV medical care, medications, and support services for low-income people with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. Use HRSA’s official Find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Medical Provider tool to search for care near you by address or ZIP code.
Find HIV care near youDial 211 from any phone to reach a local specialist who can refer you to free clinics, help with healthcare and medicine costs, food, housing, and utility assistance in your own community. It is run through the United Way network, every call is completely confidential, and there is no cost to you.
Our outreach teams actively engage with individuals on the streets, in shelters, and at community centers, assessing needs and providing immediate relief and connecting them to ongoing support systems. Our assistance — clothing, supplies, or guidance — is tailored to individual needs, fostering independence and long-term stability.
We help people everywhere — from our locations in Los Angeles, North Bay Village, Las Vegas, and Camino, and wherever the need finds us.
Ask us for help — we’ll call you backPlease note: These organizations are independent public resources — Chesed Foundation is not affiliated with them and cannot guarantee their services. Nothing on this page is medical advice; always talk to a licensed clinician about your health. In a medical emergency, call 911 right away.
