How to get health care in Atlanta without insuranceA short guide: who to call first and what to expect.
If it is an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. By law, an emergency room has to check you and treat an emergency even if you cannot pay. Ask for the hospital's financial help form before you leave or when the bill comes. Grady is the public hospital, and it lowers bills for people with low income who live in Fulton or DeKalb County. Ask about the Grady Card.
For a regular doctor, go to a community health center. They see people with no insurance and charge by income, so a visit may cost little or nothing. Mercy Care, Good Samaritan Health Center and Southside Medical Center are three of the larger ones. Bring a photo ID and proof of income if you have them, and go even if you don't. Most will see you and sort out the paperwork later. You do not need to be a citizen. Many fill prescriptions for a few dollars and have dental and eye care too. See doctor visits, dental care and vision care.
For shots, birth control and testing, your county health department charges little or nothing. Many places test for HIV for free, and if you have HIV and no insurance, a federal program pays for your care. See HIV services.
To get insurance, apply for Medicaid at gateway.ga.gov. Children can get Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids, 877-427-3224, even when their parents can't. Pregnant women usually qualify. Other adults with very low income may qualify through Georgia Pathways, which asks for 80 hours a month of work, school or volunteering. If Medicaid says no, look at plans on georgiaaccess.gov, where the price depends on your income. See help with health insurance.
G.G. Rhodes Wesley Woods, is a nonprofit nursing and rehab home near Emory University that has cared for older adults since 1904. It gives long-term nursing care, short-term rehab after a hospital stay, stroke recovery therapy, a secure memory care unit for people with Alzheimer's, and an on-site dialysis clinic for about 150 residents.
This is the East Atlanta Health Center on Moreland Avenue. It offers sexual and reproductive health care, including birth control, STD and HIV testing, vaccines, and abortion care. You can be seen in person or by telehealth, and you do not need insurance.
This clinic inside Hughes Spalding Hospital in downtown Atlanta is the regular doctor's office for kids and teens from birth to age 18. Staff give checkups, shots, sick visits, school and sports physicals, and help manage ongoing health problems like asthma or diabetes, with a pharmacy and behavioral health support on site.
The YMCA at Good Sam is a wellness center for adults 18 and older in Atlanta's Westside and Grove Park areas. It sits inside the Good Samaritan Health Center and works with Good Sam Medical Center. Members can join group exercise classes and health programs.
The Center for Student Wellbeing is part of Emory University's Campus Life. It offers health and wellbeing programs for students. These include online courses, a text challenge, alcohol and cannabis screenings, and free safer sex supplies.
This center gives medical, dental, and mental health care to children and families in Atlanta's Edgewood neighborhood, including people who have no insurance. The clinic uses a sliding fee scale, takes Medicaid and Medicare, and no one is turned away for not being able to pay. It also runs health clinics inside several nearby schools and an early learning program for babies and young children.
Power Atlanta is a nonprofit in Atlanta's West End. It helps people with free food and clothing, health coverage and benefits help, HIV and STI testing, and money and job skills. You can start with one need and get pointed to other help too.
SisterSong is a national group based in the South and led by women of color. It works for reproductive justice, which means people can make choices about their bodies, families, and health. It offers birth support, labor support trainings, youth programs, and memberships.
DeKalb Public Health is the public health agency for DeKalb County. Its health centers offer vaccines, family planning, HIV and STI testing and care, and treatment for minor health problems. It also runs a mobile wellness van and handles birth and death certificates and medical records requests.
Northside Hospital is a large Georgia health system with hospitals and clinics in many places. Its services include urgent care, cancer care, heart care, orthopedics, imaging and chaplain support. Many services have their own phone number, so call the one for the care you need.
Richardson Health Center is a DeKalb Public Health clinic at 445 Winn Way in Decatur. It has an HIV clinic called the Ryan White Early Care Clinic, a TB and Refugee Health Program, and a vital records office. The Ryan White clinic has some evening and Saturday hours.
Mercy Care is a nonprofit health center that sends a mobile medical coach to different Atlanta locations so adults can get care close to home. Anyone 18 or older can get checkups, mental health support, and screenings for vision, blood pressure, and diabetes on the coach, no matter their ability to pay.
DeKalb Public Health runs health centers in DeKalb County, including Clifton Springs in Decatur. They give vaccines, family planning care, STD and HIV testing and care, dental care, and sports physicals. They also run mobile health vans and sell birth and death certificates.
River Edge Behavioral Health helps people with mental illness and substance use problems. It offers counseling, groups, medicine care, crisis help, and case management for children, teens, and adults. It has sites in Macon, Milledgeville, and Atlanta, and no one is turned away because they cannot pay.
Empowerline is run by the Atlanta Regional Commission. It helps older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in metro Atlanta. You can call and talk to a certified counselor for free, or search a database of local services.
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is a children's hospital system with more than 60 pediatric specialties. It offers urgent care and emergency care for kids, plus clinics for asthma, diabetes, heart, cancer and blood disorders, and brain and nerve conditions. Parents can also use its online guides and tips.
Georgia Charitable Care Network is a group that supports free and charitable clinics across Georgia. These clinics care for people who are uninsured or have low incomes. Their website has a list and map of member clinics so you can find one near you.
org is a free website that explains everyday legal topics in plain language, like family law, housing, money problems, and immigration. It is run together by Atlanta Legal Aid Society and Georgia Legal Services Program, and it helps people find a lawyer, court forms, and other legal resources across Georgia.
Status: Home, once called Jerusalem House, gives long-term homes to low-income and homeless people in Atlanta who have HIV or AIDS. It serves single adults and families with children. Residents also get case management and links to HIV care, jobs, mental health help and legal help.
The Georgia Department of Community Health runs Georgia Medicaid. Its website explains Medicaid programs and waiver programs that help older people and people with disabilities get care at home or in the community instead of in a nursing home. Each program has its own way to apply.
