Where to See a Doctor Without Health Insurance

If you do not have health insurance, a federally funded community health center is often a practical place to start for primary care, including checkups, illness visits, and care for children. These centers offer services on a sliding fee scale based on income and family size, so ask about the cost and what documents to bring when you make an appointment.

For a non-emergency concern, a primary care office, retail clinic, or urgent care center may see you as a self-pay patient; call ahead to ask whether they treat your concern, accept uninsured patients, and can estimate the visit cost. If you have symptoms of an emergency, such as severe trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, or heavy bleeding, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department rather than delaying care because of insurance concerns.

Before a non-emergency appointment, tell the office you are uninsured and ask about self-pay rates, discounts, payment plans, and separate charges for lab work or prescriptions. You can also ask a hospital or clinic about financial assistance and explore whether you qualify for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or a Marketplace plan.

If your baby needs routine care, contact a pediatrician or community health center and ask about uninsured visit costs, vaccination options, and help applying for coverage; for a serious or rapidly worsening concern, seek urgent medical advice or emergency care. Our newborn health insurance enrollment checklist and our featured printable PDF guide, Baby Health Insurance Made Simple, provide a starting point for navigating insurance for a baby.