Sounds like you have marital problems than financial ones. I'd start by talking to a family law attorney. Your spouse's withholding info on his paycheck, much less refusing to get offered health insurance smells to high heaven. He may well be withholding other information from you.

You have more problems than just lack of insurance.

Sounds like you need to get a divorce and then apply for Medicaid.

There are really no private health insurance options in my state that are affordable for low-income individuals. All public or subsidized health plans are going to require you to show proof of low-income. Why would they let families that have a working spouse with good income use the money set aside for the many poor families struggling on food stamps, unemployment, etc? You need to resolve this issue with your husband ASAP and/or get out of the marriage.

If you do decide on the divorce in most states if you have been married for over 10 years you are entitled to a portion of your spouse's retirement.

Also depending on your state the public assistance group can ask and receive information on your spouses income.

If you and your spouse filed income tax together you should have looked at the return before signing. He probably is lying on the taxes also.

"I do have discount drug card, but if anyone might know of any low-cost health insurance programs, I'd LOVE to know! I have checked out a few online, but thgere are none that I can afford."

For what it's worth, please know that most low-cost health insurance plans available to individuals have so many restrictions, exclusions and hidden clauses that they're arguably not even worth having at all. I say this as someone who is self-employed and pays more than $1,000 every month for health insurance. EVERY time we try to use it, there's some hidden clause that they claim to avoid paying. Financially, we'd have been MUCH better off without it. Regulations may be better in your state, but perhaps not.

As a legal wife, you MAY also have the legal right to sign yourself up on your husband's health plan. It would be worth a phone call to his employer's benefits coordinator to check and see. If that's a legal option, it would absolutely be a better (and cheaper) health plan than one you could buy as an individual. Hubby's reaction to such action on your part would probably answer some of your other questions...

Is it legal for a spouse refuses to carry insurance for the "married spouse"?

If OP incurres huge medical bill, is her husband liable for it? if he is, and she has no income, how much percentage of the bill is his?

Anyone knows the answers?

That may depend on state law. If the OP lives in a community property state, that might make a difference. As far as legal responsibility for the spouse's medical bills, I'm sure that the creditors would come after the wage-earner in the family.

I'm not sure of the legality of the spouse's actions, but I think than it does constitute spousal abuse.

"I think than it does constitute spousal abuse" What??? That is absurd. Sure, the husband is being a fool and a jerk, but that isn't illegal. If a woman is willing to put up with a fool and jerk for husband, that is her choice.

As for insurance, good luck. There is no such thing as low cost insurance for people with serious medical issues. If you require any significant medical treatment while uninsured, the hospital will come after you and your husband for every cent that you have. If you don't have money and your husband is so short sighted that he won't put you on his insurance, you really don't have any options.

Yes, it's abuse. Billl. The OP is being subjected to mental anguish. Abuse can be psychological, financial and emotional.

I guess if you have a victim mentality, then everything is "abuse." I'm not sure people who have been beaten by their spouses would appreciate the comparison though. We are talking about 2 adults here that need to responsible for their own behavior and choices. If the OP wants to be married to a guy who cares this little about her life and health, then that is her decision. That decision comes with consequences though.

If the OP is still around..

Seriously? This guy would rather see you potentially die from lack of treatment than show you a pay stub? This could be your life that we are talking about. You need to start fighting for this like your life was on the line - because it could be.

Billl, get with the program and learn a few things about abuse in relationships.

Here is a link that might be useful: some facts about spousal abuse

suhipup - what program is that, Oprah? For some reason you think that since I don't support your terminology, I think that it is ok for men to treat their wives like dirt. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Humans have free will. If you don't like the way your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife treats you, then don't put up with it. This isn't 1850. Women can divorce lousy husbands. They can own land too! In fact, when they divorce lousy husbands, they usually get 50% of the land.... and in this case, access to health insurance.

Billl, maybe we should take this over to Hot Topics, because it is not appropriate here. I work as a counselor for senior citizens and deal with financial/social/emotion abuse all the time. Just because you don't believe in it does not mean that it is not real.

Bowd, Where are your friends and family?

You can get yearly breast and cervical cancer screenings including mammograms through Breast & Cervical Cancer Control program. Every state has this it's a nationwide program/study. If you are diagnosed with cancer you are put on medicaid for the duration of your treatment. Go to your state web address & search BCCC, or BCCCP.

As for prescription assistance you can check www.pparx.org.

Hope this helps. My husband wouldn't put me on his insurance the first 2 years of our marriage because it would have been $500 monthly. I did end up becoming ill & am still paying it off years later, so please get yourself enrolled in the above and check your state website for more assistance programs.

now I provide my own health ins & his (ironically). I do believe though he cannot legally stop you from obtaining health insurance through his employer plan if it's offered.
Does HE have ins?

~Cat

I recently had to have a biopsy for results gleaned from my mammogram from the state breast and cervical health program.

I asked the nurse what would happen if the biopsy was cancerous, would the state program pay for surgery? She said she didn't know.

She went on to say that the doctors and nurses intentionally stay ignorant of the programs, and who is covered and who is not, so that the exact same care is provided to people who are covered by insurance, and people who have no coverage at all. She said "people get all nervous about whether they have health insurance or not, but it doesn't matter to us."

My insurance is by Anthem, catastrophic care only, many restrictions, and I also have a Health savings account. People think I'm nuts, but I actually like an arrangement that encourages me to be more active in my health and health care decisions.

With apologies to Robert Frost, a hospital is a place where, if you have to go there, they have to take you in.