The couple had gotten rid of their health insurance when sales at their Fayetteville, Ark. pizza shop, Bariola’s Pizza, started sliding last year.

For two months, they agonized over how they were going to afford the MRI and other tests that the doctor said Alisha needed, until they remembered their stash of "Trade Dollars," a local currency used in the Fayetteville area.

The currency, issued by a company called Local Trade Partners, allows local business owners to exchange goods and services without using U.S. dollars. An auto repair man could earn Trade Dollars by fixing someone’s car, for example, and then use the Trade Dollars he earned to buy a pizza at Bariola’s. The McNamaras could then use the currency at other local businesses that accept it, including a handful of medical care providers.

With a record number of Americans going without health insurance, alternative currencies like Trade Dollars have become one of the few ways the uninsured can afford much-needed health care.

Launched in 2009, this alternative currency has become increasingly popular as the U.S. dollar loses its buying power and the struggling economy takes a toll on consumer’s finances, said Local Trade Partners founder Rich Creyer. Since early last year, the number of members using the currency grew from 300 to 548. And about 60 of them are health and wellness providers — including hospitals, chiropractors, dentists, pharmacies, eye doctors and even plastic surgeons.

When business owners first join the Trade Dollars network, they are given an interest-free line of credit ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 Trade Dollars (depending on their credit history and the size of their business). They are then issued special checks that are linked to the accounts. Each time a member makes a purchase or a deposit, they are charged a 5% fee. Each Trade Dollar is roughly equivalent to one U.S. dollar.

As more business owners in the area signed on to use Trade Dollars, and started using them to buy pizza at Bariola’s, the McNamaras had accumulated a healthy reserve of the currency. In total, the Trade Dollars covered $3,000 worth of Alisha’s medical tests.

"If we didn’t have Trade Dollars, that would have been a serious problem — we wouldn’t have been able to afford the tests," said Michael.

Fortunately, those tests came back negative. But Alisha is required to get check-ups every six months, and the McNamaras plan to use Trade Dollars for those visits as well.

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