Needless to say, getting sick is an exhausting situation. And it only gets worse with the high cost of health care services. You can actually get buried in debt if you don’t get yourself any of those medical plans sold on the market today.
But these health plans can be very expensive too especially for those who are paying it individually without any counterpart by your employer. (In health insurance, the salesman is luckier because he can get something for free like free health insurance leads.)
If you don’t feel lucky with health insurance, you can reduce your worries by simply taking advantage of discount form medical or medical discount cards, which can reduce your medical expenses. But you need to have a medical discount plan that offers big discounts from hundreds of providers for a wide range of services, from doctor visits and dental exams to hospital stays and prescription drugs.
Yes, there are many discount cards out there. However, be careful in choosing the discount plan provider as many plans fail to make good on those claims. The FTC and many states have found that although some medical discount plans provide legitimate discounts that benefit their members, many take consumers’ money and offer very little in return.
When considering your options, check if what you are getting is a medical insurance or a medical discount plan. If you’re not sure, check with your state insurance commissioner to see before deciding. Remember that if you buy a health insurance plan, it generally covers a broad array of services, and pays you or your health care provider for your medical bills. However, if you buy a medical discount plan, you generally are paying for a list of providers and sellers who may be willing to offer “discounts” on some of their services, products or procedures.
If you’re interested in availing of the discount form medical, you should investigate the details before you pay any money. For example,
Look for a telephone number or website of the company you’re considering doing business with so you can get more information.
Before you pay any money, ask the company for a list of providers who participate in its plan. Call the providers and ask about the services and discounts they’re offering.
If the plan doesn’t provide a list of providers promptly, consider taking your business elsewhere.
Investigate the details of any plan carefully. Read the fine print, paying special attention to the refund policy.
If a plan doesn’t readily provide information and answers before you buy, it isn’t likely to be responsive once they have your money.
If your usual medical or dental providers don’t participate, see whether other doctors in your area accept the plan and will give you the discount the plan promoters promise. Some legitimate plans offer a “get acquainted” or “initial consultation” visit so you can meet a practitioner who participates in the plan before you commit to becoming a member.
Do the math. Try to calculate what your total payment for a discount plan will be for a given amount of time. You could be responsible for paying a substantial amount up front, in addition to monthly fees and other costs. The costs of the program may total more than the savings you anticipate. Indeed, you may be able to negotiate a similar discount directly with your provider, without having to join a medical discount program.
Call your local consumer protection office, state Attorney General, or Better Business Bureau to find out whether there are complaints about the business offering the discount plan.
Finally, it always pays to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the various medical and health-care providers, as well as other companies who offer the discount form medical.