Every man, woman, and child in most "first world" countries, like England, France, and Canada, gets basic health care from the government. This means that people in those countries no longer need private health insurance. But things are a little different in the United States. Due to the high cost of health care and the rates and premiums that private companies that sell health insurance charge their customers, many people in the United States do not have any health insurance at all. This means that many people can't afford to go to the doctor as often as they should for routine care, don't get the prescriptions they need to be fully functional members of society, and have a hard time getting back on their feet after a surgery or other emergency medical procedure that they needed but couldn't afford.
As a way to fix this problem, many places in the United States have special programmes that help low-income families get the health insurance they need. Families living below the poverty line can often get health insurance through the health department of a state, city, or county for less than the market rate. Families with incomes well above the poverty line may be able to get some kind of financial help, depending on the details of their situation and the rules of the programme. Spend some time on the website of your local branch of government to find out if you and your family might be able to get the care you need at prices that are more affordable than what you are paying now. Online, you can find all the information you need to know about eligibility for family health insurance assistance programmes in many large cities and most states. In some cases, you can even print the paperwork you need for your application right from the web.
Even though the United States doesn't have the kind of government-run health care for all of its citizens that some other countries do, there are usually government-funded programmes that help people who can't afford to pay market prices for their own medical care. People who don't qualify for this kind of government-funded health care can still use the free clinics that are in most big cities. Clinics offer a wide range of services, from pregnancy tests to flu shots. If you want to avoid paying high hospital bills, you might want to look into what the clinics in your area can do for you. With free clinics and subsidised health insurance for families, almost every family in the United States can afford at least some medical care.
