Club helps people who don’t have health insurance

NBC
Published: March 24, 2009

If you lose your job, there are two alternatives when it comes to your health insurance.

One option is to pay for the COBRA plan offered by many companies.

Some companies can charged you as much as $400 a month.

The second option: Go without it, and hope that you do not get sick because it could end up costing you thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Now a new program is helping people without health insurance get some coverage.

It is called the No Insurance Club and for some, it is just what the doctor ordered.

Take Ralph Demicco for example.

He suffers from Type 2 diabetes, and by going without a doctor or getting the medications he needs, it could become a life or death situation.

“These are conscious patients they know they can’t buy insurance outside on their own but a program like this covers their maintenance side,“ said James Stanley, a doctor at the Briarcliff Medical Associates.

For one person to join the No Insurance Club, it cost $480 for the year.

After you sign the contract, you get 12 doctor visits a year that include services like physicals, blood work and flu shots.

For a family, no matter the size, it will cost you $680 for the year.

It includes everything that an individual plan does, but ups the number of doctor visits to 16.

“We’re trying to fill that gap where they can still come to us for that amount it’s a pretty good deal,“ said Stanley.

Once thing about the club unlike other insurance companies, you must see the same doctor for each and every visit and you can only see him no matter what.

Secondly, you can get your prescription drugs for $4.

The only thing is they have to be the generic version.

If you need to get a name brand, you will have to pay out of pocket.

If you use up all of your visits for the year before the end of the year, then you can renew your contract at the original price.

The No Insurance Club does not cover visits to the emergency room or hospital stays.

It also does not cover specialists.

To see if there are participating club physicians in your area, go to to their