No Insurance in San Antonio (Ross: how much, neighborhood, pharmacy)

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by meisha210

Carelink told me my payments would be around $120 a month if I ever received any services. It's still better than the expensive and worthless health insurance from my employer.

True that! So many plans offered by employers are simply laughable in what they offer (or don't offer).

[xsa210tx]

GREAT NEWS! I called Carelink and here is what I found out:

A SINGLE person can make up to $2,652.00 gross income a month (gross=before taxes are taken out) and STILL be eligible for Carelink! Wow, I didn't know it was that high. That's great news!

A married couple can make up to $3,422.00 gross income a month and still be eligible for Carelink.

I hope that helps!!!

[tony78201]

I have carelink, I dont know what I would have done without it. at first, I was unemployed, and my monthly payment was only $10.00, and prescription medicines were $5.00. I then became disabled, and was granted disabilty, and carelink only raised payment to 20.00 a month, and 10.00 for prescriptions. a life saver. also, the carelink office on 36th is very nice, and never as crowded as the office downtown.

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by tony78201

Also, the carelink office on 36th is very nice, and never as crowded as the office downtown.

Yeah, the downtown office is always crowded. Thanks for the tip!

[L210]

There are a few Carelink clinics 5-10 min. away from me, but they're full, so my primary care physician is all the way on the south side.

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[xsa210tx]

A quick tip: I was able to get away from "CentroMed" as my primary care clinic and strictly switch to a University Health System (UHS) location as my primary care clinic.

Here's how it works: if you don't want to go through CentroMed anymore, then you can call Carelink on a regular basis to see if there are any "available" new patient appointments at a University Health System location (Leona Street, Ada Street, or S.W. 36th Street UHS satellite locations).

Why did I switch from CentroMed to UHS as my primary care clinic? After awhile, I was starting to get fed up with CentroMed and it's not really all their fault. Since CentroMed "contracts" their services for University Health System, both of their systems do not connect with one another in any way, which made their communication channels very complicated for basic test results and other things.

In order to get labwork results from a UHS ExpressMed clinic, CentroMed would have to request and call to get simple information that would seem to take forever to acquire, and any tests or things you do through UHS would also have to be requested seperately.

However, if you use a doctor at a UHS location, all that information and all your records are interconnected within the UHS system and available immediately to see by any doctor whether you go to a UHS ExpressMed clinic, the University Hospital Emergency Room, or any other UHS doctor or location within the system.

The only downside: the wait. It's not uncommon for me to wait 2 hours to see a doctor at the Leona location. I don't mind though. In regards to my healthcare, I have more flexibility seeing the resident doctors as the students tend to be more "receptive" to my ideas than some of the other established doctors who are set in their ways moreso.

Also if you have Carelink, you don't need to solely rely on UHS or CentroMed. You can also utilize the services of South Alamo Medical Group which has two locations in SA (one of them in the King William area).

So for anyone who needs it, here are the hours of the South Alamo Medical Group Downtown and the hours and locations of the rest of the CentroMed clinics. Don't forget, to receive services at any of these locations, you must have that one as your primary care clinic.

So for example, if a CentroMed clinic is your primary care clinic you cannot go to a South Alamo Clinic and vice versa (although you can go to ANY CentroMed clinic). You would have to call Carelink to request a change like I did.

South Alamo Medical Group Downtown Hours:

(Walk In) Located at 740 S ALAMO 210-222-0333:

MON-FRI: They are open from 8AM to 5PM
*Get there by 11AM to be seen for a morning appointment.
*Get there by 4PM to be seen for an afternoon appointment.

SATURDAY: They are open from 8AM to 12PM
*Get there by 1130 AM to be seen that day.

CentroMed San Saba Hours:

(Non Walk In) Located at 315 N SAN SABA 210-738-8222:

MON: 8AM TO 7PM
TUE, THUR, FRI: 8AM TO 5PM
WED: 8AM TO 7PM

CentroMed SouthPark Hours:

(Walk In) Located at 6315 S ZARZAMORA 210-977-1940:

MON-FRI: 730AM TO 7PM
*Best times to get there are at 730AM or around 1 OR 2PM to be seen faster

SAT: 9AM TO 1PM
*Should get there no later than 1230PM to be seen.

CentroMed Walzem Hours:

(Walk In) Located at 5253 WALZEM 210-651-1050:

MON-FRI: 8AM TO 8PM

SAT: 8AM TO 5PM
*Should get there no later than 415PM to be seen.

Also, many people are unaware of this: you can ride a bus shuttle for absolutely free going from University Health System Downtown (Leona) to University Hospital and even to the Express Med Clinic (across from University Hospital, AND, back to downtown)! All for free. The UHS Bus Shuttle Phone Number is: 210-358-3858.


University Health System Free Bus Shuttle Service Days and Times:


FROM DOWNTOWN (LEONA) TO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL:

MON-FRI: 725AM, 925AM, 1140AM, 150PM, 405PM, 6PM, 945PM (IT'S A STRAIGHT SHOT TO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL)

*SAT: 845AM, 100PM, 420PM (NOT ALWAYS A STRAIGHT SHOT BUT DOES GET THERE)

SUNDAY: NO SERVICE


FROM UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL TO DOWNTOWN (LEONA):

MON-FRI: 825AM, 1045AM, 1245PM, 250PM, 505PM, 650PM, 1045PM

*SAT: 930AM, 130PM, 500PM

SUNDAY: NO SERVICE

*The shuttle is mostly on call on Saturday. So if you are taking the shuttle on Saturday, you must call the number to let Dispatch know that you need a ride from Point A to Point B to ensure they arrive to pick you up.

*Also, anytime you get dropped off or picked up at the ExpressMed clinic across from University Hospital, you must inform them that you are located there to be pickedup, or that you need to be dropped off there from downtown.

[Quelita]

If someone makes $2000 a month, and is married would he and his wife qualify?

[Quelita]

xsa210tx:
What number did you call and who did you talk to? Did you have to dial any extension number as well?

[Hedgehog_Mom]

This is the number for Carelink: 210-358-3350

The way it works is that you don't pay anything until you actually see a doctor, then you have a monthly bill until it's paid off. They adjust the amount if your income changes.