County Care
If your income is below 138% of the poverty level you may qualify for Medicaid. This means if you are between jobs, you are student, unemployed, etc., you may still have access to no-cost insurance. County Care is the name of the insurance plan provided by Cook County. You can walk into any Cook County Hospital or Clinic and someone will help you sign up.
This insurance plan is accepted at over 130 locations throughout the County. You must be signed up for Medicaid and then choose CountyCare as your health plan. Call 312-864-8200 to learn more.
You must redetermine your eligibility every year so be sure to check out to graphic below on what redetermination is and how to reapply.
As always, you can also call our office at 773-283-7873 for questions and assistance.
Covered Services
County Care covers vision, dental, and routine doctor visits. It covers many specialty care visits, including mental health, addiction treatment, diabetes, and cardiology. County Care provides transportation to and from doctor visits. Visit the County Care website to learn more about County Care.
Important: County Care has a program that gives free diapers to children under two that are up-to-date on their shots. Children under two will automatically receive a coupon for free diapers that can be used at any Jewel-Osco location in the Chicagoland area. No enrollment is necessary, and the coupon will be mailed monthly.
CareLink
CareLink is a Cook County Hospital program for uninsured or underinsured residents that helps cover the cost of treatment at Cook County Hospitals. CareLink provides tiered discounts for services based upon your income level — not everyone will qualify for CareLink, but you can call 866-223-2817 to learn more, or call us at 312-603-6380.
Financial Counseling
Cook County Hospital’s Financial Assistance Clinics can help determine eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare. They will help the uninsured, underinsured or just unsure about which health benefits they may qualify for, including CareLink and County Care. Every Cook County Health Clinic has financial assistance counselors. Call 1-866-223-2817 to learn more about your financial options for health care.