Quick Guide To Free Health Information Resources

Consumer Information on Health Plans
- Provides fact sheets, booklets, and other health plan information from the Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Continuation of Health Coverage – COBRA
- The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events.

Missouri Rx Plan
Missouri Rx Price Compare allows you to interactively search and display pharmacy prices of commonly used prescription medications. This information will assist you in comparison shopping among pharmacies to get the best local price for your prescriptions.
HealthWell Foundation
Needy Meds/ NeedyMeds Discount Drug Cards
Rx Hope
Chronic Disease Fund
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPARx) was created to make it easier for low-income uninsured patients to get free or nearly free prescription medicines through existing patient assistance programs. Web-based form to determine eligibility.
The Access Project
Together Rx Access was created as a public service by a group of some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, in order to provide savings on prescriptions to eligible persons who have no prescription drug coverage.

Health Centers provide health and dental care to people of all ages, whether or not they have health insurance or the money to pay for health care. Find the Health Center closest to you – Information provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration
Hill-Burton Free & Reduced Cost Care at hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities are required to provide a specific amount of free or below cost health care to people unable to pay. Eligibility is based on the size of your family and your income. You apply for Hill-Burton care at the facility where you were or will be treated. More about Hill-Burton and find facilities in your State
NeedyMeds Free Clinics List for Missouri

NeedyMeds Missouri Based Assistance Programs and National Disease-Based Programs
Heart Disease: Heart Support of America
Kidney Disease: American Kidney Fund
HIV/AIDS: The Access Project
Hepatitis: The Access Project
Cancer: see this Empowered Patient for a list of services
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, Chronic Granulomatous Disorder, Huntington’s Disease, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Caring Voice Coalition
Other rare diseases: National Organization for Rare Diseases
Vision Care: EyeCare America and Vision USA

You can learn more about clinical trials by talking with your doctor
For cancer trials, call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or visit National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials
For AIDS and HIV, call 1-800-TRIALS-A (1-800-874-2572) or visit www.actis.org
For general information about clinical trials, call FDA’s Office of Special Health Issues at 301-827-4460 or visit www.fda.gov/oashi/home.html
For other clinical trials of other diseases, visit ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers. ClinicalTrials.gov gives you information about a trial’s purpose, who may participate, locations, and phone numbers for more details.
Volunteer for Health at Washington University School of Medicine
“Why Volunteer for a Clinical Trial?” from the FDA

National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) FreeMD.com
- A symptom-checker consisting of a virtual doctor who conducts interviews, analyzes symptoms, and provides expert advice
National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) MedlinePlus
- Extensive resources for consumer health, including health topics, medical encyclopedias, drug information, and more

Becker Medical Library Consumer Health site
Health Library Directory
- MedlinePlus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and provides trusted health information to consumers. This searchable listing can help you find health information close to home.
MLA’s Top Ten Websites | “Los diez mejores, y más útiles, sitios en internet”
Deciphering Medspeak | Descifrando el Lenguaje Médico

Health Information Translations – quality translations in multiple languages
Healthy Roads Media: A source of quality health information in many languages and multiple formats
"Los diez mejores, y más útiles, sitios en internet"
Consumer Health Information in Many Languages
- A resource guide created by the NN/LM Consumer Outreach Librarians
The 24 Languages Project – most resources available in PDF and audio formats
Translated Health Forms and Documents – from the Foundation for Healthy Communities

Genetic Alliance provides a rich nexus of advocacy and community organizations, government, industry, and private entities
Genetic Counseling, Support and Advocacy Groups Online from genome.gov

Buckley, Cara. “For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care.” The New York Times 18 February 2009: A1. 23 February 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18insure.html
Cohen, Elizabeth. “No health insurance? Get help here.” CNNhealth. 12 February 2009. 23 February 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/12/ep.health.insurance.help/index.html
“Missouri Guide to Finding Health Insurance Coverage.” Cover the Uninsured. January 2007. 23 February 2009 http://covertheuninsured.org/files/Missouri%20Guide%20to%20Finding%20Health%20Insurance%20Coverage.pdf
“Quality information for improved health” Medical Library Association website. 12 January 2009. 23 February 2009 http://www.mlanet.org/resources/consumr_index.html

Last updated: February 24, 2009