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Health & Wellness Help includes links to information and resources for low-cost health care, insurance, prescription drugs, mental health and disability services. |
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Low-cost Health Care
The Ohio Medicaid Program provides medical assistance to people who qualify. Medicaid Fact Sheets answer many frequently asked questions.
Ohio Community Health Centers offer high-quality, affordable health care to all Ohioans, including Medicaid patients and the uninsured.
Local Health Districts in each county receive state grants for service delivery. Twenty-one local health departments are currently funded to provide Women's Health Services to uninsured and low-income women. In addition, seventy-nine Ohio counties receive CFHS (Child and Family Health Services) grants to improve the health of women, infants, and children.
Ohio has forty Free Medical Clinics serving fifty-one Ohio counties. These are located around Ohio, are run by various organizations, and offer a variety of services. For more information or to find a clinic near you, call 614-221-6494.
The Ohio Department of Health oversees numerous special programs such as Child and Family Services, Medical Specialty Clinics, the WIC program, and HIV care. The ODH web site provides contact information. Vital statistics, licensees and registrants, and public health information are also available on the ODH web site.
Children's Buy-in Program (CBI) is a public health insurance program available to certain children in Ohio (see eligibility requirements). The program was created as part of Governor Ted Strickland's TurnAround Ohio Initiative. If your child does not qualify for CBI, you are encouraged to apply for Ohio Medicaid's Healthy Start / Healthy Families programs.
Prescription Drugs
Ohio's "Best Rx" is a prescription drug discount program designed to lower the cost of prescriptions for Ohio residents without prescription drug coverage who are 60 years of age or over or under age 60 with annual family incomes of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. You may apply online or obtain an application at many local community health centers, pharmacies, hospitals, or by calling 1-866-923-7879.
The Golden Buckeye Card, free to Ohioans 60 and over as well as adults age 18-59 with disabilities as defined by Social Security, offers discounts at merchants of all types, including prescription drug benefits.
Insurance Options
If you recently lost your employer-provided health insurance or have been uninsured for some time, the Ohio Department of Insurance can help you understand the available coverage options. Call 1-800-686-1526 for more information.
Heath Related Consumer Publications from the Ohio Department of Insurance include How to Appeal a Health Coverage Decision Made by your Insurer and Shoppers Guide to Health Insurance.
Mental Health Resources
The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services maintains a listing of available services in all 88 counties of Ohio. Programs include substance abuse treatment and prevention.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health has a "Getting Treatment: Where to Get Help" web page listing over 20 different types of available support which can be located by zip code or county.
The federal National Mental Health Information Center has links to resources throughout the United States and serves as a primary advocate for mental health.
Many types of Resources and Support for Caregivers may be found at USA.gov.
Suicide Prevention Hotlines for each county in Ohio may be found on the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation web site. Or, call 800-273-TALK (8255) from anywhere in Ohio.
Persons with Disabilities
The Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission is the state agency that helps people with disabilities get and keep jobs. Depending upon the individual's disability, services are provided through either the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) or the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR). If you have a disability and are having trouble getting or keeping a job, you may Qualify for Assistance. Offices are Located Throughout Ohio.
Domestic Violence Resources
ACTION OHIO provides programs, services, and resources to survivors of domestic violence and works for the eradication of family violence. Domestic Violence Shelters in Ohio lists contact information by county for shelters in Ohio. Their list of Links to Related Services provides many additional sources of help.
Ohio Legal Services, providing legal assistance to low-income Ohioans, maintains the Ohio DV Resource Center.