Browse the Health Care General FAQs

Sometimes the clinic can't provide all the services you need in-house. In that case, the clinic will be sure to refer you to a hospital that will work with you. They will be sure to refer you somewhere that can provide financial aid if you are uninsured.

You do not need to have insurance to get health care. All the clinics that 504HealthNet works with have flexible options for anyone seeking care. There have sliding scales which means how much you pay is based on how much you make. If you can't afford to pay the bill at one time, payment plans are available as well. You won't be turned away.

*All of these clinics provide primary care, but not all clinics provide the other services, see map for details.*

• Primary Care (your regular doctor)
• Vision
• Dental
• Behavioral (therapists or counselors)
• Women's wellness
• They also coordinate referrals for you if you need specialty care at a hospital (x‐rays, additional testing, physical therapy, etc.) These clinics work hard to make sure that the care is affordable for everyone. This means that they offer discounted services for uninsured patients, and payment plans if the bill is still too big to pay all at once.

The clinics that 504HealthNet work with are best for pre‐planned, non‐emergency visits. Urgent Care or the ER is best for emergencies.

At these clinics, you will likely be treated by the same doctor each time you go, and they will get to know you and your health. At an Urgent Care or ER, you will usually not see the same doctor twice.

These clinics take all types of insurance and have discounted services for uninsured patients to ensure that care is affordable for everyone. Urgent Care or the ER tends to be more expensive, especially if you are uninsured.

All of the clinics that 504HealthNet work with are fully available to documented or undocumented immigrants. These clinics are safe, protected places where ICE is never allowed. If you don't have an ID, that's OK! If you have any doubts or questions about what you might need to bring to your appointment, ask via phone before you go in. All of the clinics have language lines or in‐person translation services available. If you need additional assistance, call us at 504-507-9112!

Developing a relationship with a doctor by scheduling a yearly check-up will help keep your body and mind at ease. As your doctor gets to know your health and what is normal for you, it makes it a lot easier and less expensive if you do get sick. For example, if you get regular sinus infections and your doctor knows your history, they can diagnose you more easily without having to do lots of testing.

If you're not sure how or where to start, just call your neighborhood clinic (see map) and tell the person at the front desk or on the phone that you're a first time patient looking for an appointment with a primary care provider (primary care providers are just regular doctors). Or call 504HealthNet's Community Health Workers at 504-507-9112!

It's easy to wait for something to be wrong to take care of it, but yearly visits to your local clinic can help you identify problems before they become bigger (more expensive) issues.

• Primary Care - Once per year, this is where you go for regular check-ups and the doctor that you will have a regular relationship with (same as Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Practice)

• Dentist - Once per year

• Behavioral Health - We think physical and mental health are equally important. Developing a relationship with a therapist or counselor now is helpful for when life gets difficult.

1. I am a first time patient. When is your next available appointment?
2. I don't have insurance. What do I need to bring to use the sliding scale? (if applicable)
3. What else do I need to bring?
4. Should I arrive early?

For more information on how to be prepared for your appointment, read here.

Our Community Health Workers.

What does a Community Health Worker do? They can explain the health care system to you, connect you with health insurance experts, and even schedule your first appointment for you. We understand the hours that you work might make it harder to call a health center at regular hours, so they can do that for you! Call us today at 504-507-9112!

Behavioral health includes therapy, psychiatry, and substance use treatment. We think that behavioral health is just as important as physical health. A majority of the clinics that we work with offer behavioral health services.