A sliding-scale clinic prices care by ability to pay: proof of income and household size sets your fee, and the same visit costs less when you earn less - down to a nominal fee or nothing.
The biggest US providers are HRSA-funded community health centers: about 1,400 organizations, more than 16,000 sites, every state and territory, serving insured and uninsured alike, and barred from turning anyone away for inability to pay. The care is real primary care: checkups, chronic-disease management, prenatal care, vaccines, often dental and mental health too. Use one by finding your nearest through HRSA's finder, asking which income documents to bring, and saying you are uninsured when booking so the scale applies from the start. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you plan the visit.
What to do
Common questions
What is a sliding-scale clinic?
A sliding-scale clinic adjusts its fees to your ability to pay: you show proof of income and household size, and the clinic's fee schedule slides - the same checkup costs less when you earn less, down to a nominal fee or nothing at the lowest incomes. The biggest providers of sliding-scale care in the US are community health centers funded by HRSA, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration: about 1,400 organizations running more than 16,000 service sites across every state and territory, in cities and rural areas alike. By design they serve everyone - insured, uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare - and by rule they cannot turn you away for inability to pay. What you get there is real primary care: checkups, chronic-disease management, prenatal care, vaccinations, often dental and mental health under the same roof. How to use one: find your nearest through HRSA's online finder, call ahead to ask what income documents to bring (a pay stub, a tax return, or a benefits letter usually works), and tell them you are uninsured when you book so the sliding scale is applied from the start. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you decide what kind of visit you need before you book it.