how can I get surgery done in Texas if I have no health insurance or no money?

HI! This happened to me, I saw my regular family dr. (i am also in Texas) and was taking anything for heartburn, acid reflux, and everything he gave me. It got progressivly worse, however unlike you i didnt know it was my gallbladder. My husband tells me that he awoke to hearing me moaning in pain while sleeping. He took me to the ER and i was admitted immediatly, i was on IV antibiotics for 3 days before they could remove my gallbladder. I had NO insurance at all, and we had a 9 month old baby, who she was on medicaid but not me or husband. He was just starting a new business and we did ok, but no medical. Now while in the hospital after they had removed my severely infected and full of gallstones gallbladder. A person from the financial office came to see me in my room. She said that medicaid has a program if you dont qualify for medicaid you can still apply for "emergency medicaid" they reveiw your income and do what is called a "spend down". For example with my hospital stay it was about $21000 total. They did the spend down according to my income and determined that i could pay $900 and then medicaid covered the rest and gave me 3 months coverage so i could also have my followup appointment covered as well. I dont know if this is exclusive to texas or not, but it worked. what happened then was the first $900 bills went directly to me and then the rest were paid, then you can make payment arrangments with those people. Say like 500 to the Ambulance company then to the Xray tech 200 and so on. Just pay that out and its fine. Let me tell you it was the best thing i did, i can eat anything i want now no pain at all, and i never ever get heartburn or acid indigestion at all anymore!!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

The information you were given seems wrong to me. Medicaid is based on current income and assets, not past. You can spend down to get rid of assets and spend up to increase expenses. A social worker at a hospital or through a private voluntary group such as a volunteer religious organization should be able to help you with these issues.Clearly you need a social worker advocate. Since you are symptomatic (have pain) you can not be refused the necessary surgery. It is simply a question of getting the right social worker who knows medicaid law to help you out. Once you find such a hospital, get admitted, have the surgery and work this out subsequently. You can not be forced to pay money for medical care that you don't have. And hospitals can be sued and lose all their grant money for turning away patients in need including illegal aliens. If, in spite of all this you don't qualify because for example your assets are too high, you can find a hospital that once you are in will agree to a payment plan. Here again, the trick is getting admitted to the hospital with acute pain and then the surgery and then the plan. Good luck.

I live in TX as well and I dated a guy with severe arthritis in both of his knees. . . .with the medical experience/knowledge that I have I got on the phone and tried to find him some financial assistance and there is NONE for this type of surgery. Now if he had broken his knees,he would qualify for our local Indigent Medical Program which is about the only help I can give you. Most all cities have some kind of program such as this and this is about all I know to tell you to search for. Good Luck

Not sure what your county's poverty line is, but it sounds like you qualify if you've received Medicaid. To find out, contact your county's department of social services. They will get you in to be seen by a doctor. If he/she says it is medically necessary to get your gallbladder removed, the hospital WILL have to remove it. And you will only be charge based on your income level---not the total cost of the removal.