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I.) Alternatives to Health Discount Plans
Click Here to immediately investigate your local health insurance options.
PS Family Healthcare, Smart Protective Health, Prudent Choice, Pinnacle Choice, and many others are health discount plans. These low-priced plans are not health insurance and are unlikley to provide the real protection you need in a health emergency.
We have listed below, links to newspaper articles that explain why these Health Discount Plans are often a poor buy.
Before you invest in a Health Discount Plan, we suggest you investigate all of your options to obtain affordable health insurance. In many cases, health insurance is less expensive than you may think.
II.) We recommend a two-step approach
Step 1:
Step 2: Investigate whether your state offers special plans that assist people with limited means to obtain health insurance and determine whether you qualify.
III.) Investigate Before You Buy
Television station News 3 in Los Vegas, provides this 14 point list of what you should know before you purchase a health discount plan:
1. Read all promotional material carefully. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Understand the discounts being offered.
3. Savings should exceed membership costs.
4. Understand which providers contract with the Plan and determine that they are in convenient locations for your use.
5. Ask what happens if you move or if you need services while you are traveling.
6. Know what you are buying before you sign any forms. Do not give out bank or credit card information until you decide to make a purchase.
7. Ask if the Discount Health Plan has contracts in effect with all the health care providers it has identified.
8. Verify with the health care providers you plan to use that they are participating in the Discount Health Plan.
9. Inquire about payment rules. With some Plans the consumer is required to pay for discounted services at the time of service and sometimes in cash.
10. Seniors should be especially cautious when considering one of these Plans. Some providers may not honor advertised discounts below scheduled Medicare rates.
11. Be wary of Discount Health Plans offering “long-term care” discount options. These Plans are not a substitute for long-term care insurance.
12. Ask about additional costs, such as administrative fees, that may be associated with the Discount Health Plan.
13. Ask about the Plan’s cancellation and refund policies.
14. Always keep the telephone number and address for the Discount Health Plan, along with copies of all documents that you have submitted to the Plan.
(Quoted directly from Discount Health Fraud, News 3, Los Vegas Television).
IV.) News and Government Discussions of Health Discount Plans
Finally, before you buy a health discount plan, we recommend that you read the articles listed below:
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