There are many reasons why you may not have health insurance. Perhaps you recently lost your job, work part-time, or work at a job that does not provide adequate coverage. Perhaps your spouse, who carried the insurance, died, or you are going through a divorce. Perhaps you simply can’t afford the copay on the employer-provided insurance.
Whatever the reason, you do not need to live without insurance coverage. Bucks County provides many opportunities for you to get the medical help you need.
Pennie Insurance
Pennie is a program sponsored by the PA Department of Human Services, linking Pennsylvanians to various support services throughout the state. Pennie Insurance, PA’s official health insurance marketplace, is available during Open Enrollment, typically between November 1 and January 15 of the following year. You may be able to enroll at other times if you have had a qualifying life event (moved, lost income, etc.) or are at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Visit their website at pennie.com.
Some of the other services you can find on their website, pennie.com/learn/other-programs, include:
- COMPASS: An online tool to apply for and manage benefit information with many health and human services programs, including Medical Assistance (Medicaid), CHIP, Cash Assistance, Child Care Works Program, SNAP, and more
- Medical Assistance (Medicaid or MA): Offers Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicaid for Former Foster Youth
- Medicare: Federal Health Insurance program for older Americans (or permanent residents) and those who have a qualifying disability or illness
- WIC: Supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children
- SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Mental Health Resources: Includes 988 hotline (A direct suicide prevention service, by phone or text) and other mental health resources
- Local Food Banks
Bucks County HUB
The vision of the Bucks Human Services Connect Hub is for Bucks County residents, their families, and those who support them to be aware of and have access to human services resources in person and virtually through a person-centered, supportive, integrated experience.
Bucks County offers a wide variety of support services, including health care, food assistance, housing, substance abuse, employment, suicide prevention, and other critical needs in our community. Visit their website at buckscounty.gov/1299/find-help.
For a list of hotlines, including suicide prevention, elder abuse, domestic abuse, poison control, veterans crises, Children and Youth After Hours Emergency, and more, visit buckscounty.gov/1363/hotlines-and-crisis-services.
You can also contact the Hub at (215) 348-6201 or thehub@buckscounty.org.
Suicide prevention
If you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed or suicidal, please do not suffer alone! Contact:
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call or text 988 any time, 24/7
- Bucks County Crisis Center at Lenape Valley Foundation: call (800) 499-7455 any time, 24/7 – includes dispatching crisis teams or medical assistance
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: text NAMI to 741741 any time, 24/7 or call the NAMI Bucks County Helpline: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264) from 10am-10pm
Other mental health hotlines available HERE
Substance abuse
- Drug and alcohol addiction services are available to help those in need. If you have a loved one with a drug problem, you can also get Narcan, an over-the-counter opioid overdose treatment that is considered an “opioid antagonist medication” – that is, it reverses the effect of an opioid overdose and can save lives, if administered early enough.
- The Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission (BCDAC) offers many ways to obtain Narcan, which you can find on their website, bcdac.org/resources/naloxone_narcan.php. The website also explains how to obtain Narcan by mail or at a local pharmacy.
- The PA Get Help Now Hotline, staffed by professionals trained in crisis management, is available 24/7, and will provide a warm handoff to the agency or organization that can provide the next step in care. That Hotline number is 1-800-662-4357 (1-800-662-HELP).
- BCHIP offers a free Quit Smoking Program both virtually and in person that has helped thousands of people successfully quit smoking.
Don’t get overwhelmed. There are many services available to help you live your life well in Bucks County. Contact the services you need today.
