Some uninsured clients are turning to coupons to pay for healthcare.

Physicians are getting creative to lure in patients and the uninsured are looking for deals to pay for costly care.

It looks like a trend that might catch on for a win-win in a tough economy.

The deals are popping up across the nation. In New York, a full medical checkup with blood, stool and urinalysis testing sold for $69 in December on Groupon — below the regular price of $200. In Seattle, a flu shot was offered on AmazonLocal for $17, down from $35. In Chicago, LivingSocial sold a dental exam, cleaning, X-rays and teeth whitening trays for $99, a savings of $142.

Some test results are too important to wait for your doctor to get around to calling you.

Patients need to start taking the initiative when it comes to their healthcare.

There are a few steps every patient can take to stay on top of test results. For starters, always ask which test is being performed and when to expect the results. Stream says he’s very specific with patients: “I tell them, ‘I’m scheduling a CT scan of your abdomen, and if you don’t hear from me in three days, call me.’ ” If your doctor doesn’t spell out these details clearly on his own, nudge him along.

Patients need to be active players in their health care.

Often a patient can be out of sight and out of mind.

Staying on top of your care is the best way to insure that you’re getting the best service.

The CLASS Obama health care program is not going forward.

Not enough young, healthy people are signing up to make the program financially viable.

The CLASS program was similar to long-term care plans available in the private sector in which workers sign up and pay a monthly premium. It was voluntary and was to be paid for entirely by the premiums from those who signed up. In return, subscribers would get a daily benefit.

President Obama’s healthcare plan requiring every American to purchase healthcare insurance was ruled as unconstitutional.

It will be interesting to see how this affects the upcoming election considering that this was such a hot button topic and a cornerstone of his campaign promises.

It has been historically difficult and unpopular to promote national healthcare.

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The U.S. Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, ruled 2 to 1 that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage, but it unanimously reversed a lower court decision that threw out the entire law.

The legality of the individual mandate, a cornerstone of the healthcare law, is widely expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Opponents have argued that without the mandate, which goes into effect in 2014, the entire law falls.