Many Americans without jobs, and locals struggle to make it too.
With the unemployment rate in Kentucky near 11% many families have to cut back on expenses.

Some say one thing should not be cut out of your budget. When you're unemployed, sometimes you've got to give up your car, cable TV, or cell phone. One thing many go without is health insurance, and one agent says that just isn't worth the risk.

Many jobless Americans rely on unemployment checks to get them by.
Adding to the stress of being jobless, Lawanda Troutt says sometimes the checks don't arrive on time. "Not knowing whether you've got money coming in, you've got kids, you've got to feed them, you don't know if you're going to get a check or not, and you'll go 2 weeks waiting for your check to come in and you're thinking oh, it's going to be here, and you've got groceries to get," said Troutt.

Not having health insurance is the least of her worries. " I don't worry about the insurance as much as I do the money coming in to feed the kids with."

But Sharon Jones, te co-owner of Diligent Health Insurance says there are other options. "Kentucky has a guarantee pool, a pool for people who are unhealthy. But those rates are pretty significantly high toos" said Jones.

Or you can go through the government subsidary program, COBRA.
"For instance if you're laid off some where due to lack of work, and you want to go on the cobra, then you can have 65% of your premiums paid for you up to 9 months."

And Jones says a short term plan could buy you six months to a year of coverage, but wouldn't cover any pre-existing conditions you may have like diabetes. "The rates are a lot more affordable. We sell those to a lot of people who are in between jobs."

Jones knows all too well how important health coverage is when she had a scare with her husband's heart. "My husband at age 40 had a massive heart attack and had to have open heart surgery and a triple bypass, his bill was $167,000 and that was 10 years ago here at the Medical Center and I would much rather owe $5,000 on a $5,000 deductible than owe $167,000.>>

Jones says those short-term plans may cost $50-60 a month. Also some carriers have a $10,000 or $5,000 deductible plan, which would give you a much less monthly premium.