1. GET HEALTH INSURANCE Young adults can get bare-bones policies as low as $30 a month that will help with expensive medical emergencies. Nationwide, 18- to 24-years-olds were the largest age group uninsured during at least part of 2007, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FIRST STEP: If your employer offers insurance, look there first. If not, try the state's two largest health insurers, Blue Cross of Idaho, 345-4550, or Regence BlueShield of Idaho, 1-800-632-2022. Do you qualify for state assistance? Dial the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1 to help find out.

2. ASK QUESTIONS AND LOOK FOR ERRORS IN YOUR BILLS, BUT MIND YOUR MANNERS

Treasure Valley hospitals say they are willing to work with patients who lost their health insurance along with their jobs. Remember to mind your manners. No one wants to help rude people. Boisean Carolyn Houghton, an insured emergency room patient with a lot of questions about a bill for stitches in a finger, says being steadfastly pleasant helped her get answers.

* Learn payment plan options. Hospitals can help you work out payment plans, based on your assets and expenses. Of course, there are forms. You'll need to tell them details about your income from wages, stocks and child support; the value of your home; and the size of your mortgage.

* Ask about discounts. Idaho hospitals sometime offer discounts of 35 percent or more to clear out old accounts. That doesn't happen very often, so don't count on it.

* Let the hospital help you. Hospitals will help patients figure out in advance how much will be owed for a procedure. If you need it, work out payment plans in advance. Upfront discussions help avoid "sticker shock" later.

FIRST STEP: Call St. Luke's hospitals in Boise and Meridian, 706-7660. Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise, 367-2130. Mercy Medical Center, Nampa, 463-5613 or 463-5528. West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, 1-800-370-1983.

3. DON'T IGNORE YOUR BILLS That's the No. 1 reason bills end up going to collection agencies, said Mike Frith, director of business services at Saint Al's. The initial statement to the patient does have a sentence that says if the patient lacks insurance, the entire bill is due immediately, whether it's $1,000 or $25,000. But don't panic. It also says to call the hospital.

FIRST STEP: Read your bills. Don't bury them under a mountain of junk mail and magazines and "forget" about them.

4. FIND RESOURCES Help is available. Medicaid, the public health-insurance program that generally serves the poor, also has a special program for children with very severe illnesses or disabilities. Those kids can qualify regardless of parents' incomes. Idaho counties also offer help for people who meet specific criteria. Hospitals sometime offer discounts on a sliding-fee scale for families who earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $84,800 for a family of four.

FIRST STEP: Dial the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1.

Sources: Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise; St. Luke's Boise and Meridian medical centers; Mercy Medical Center, Nampa; West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell; Carolyn Houghton, a Saint Al's patient.

Colleen LaMay: 377-6448