I had a guest spot on a blog for the Toilet Paper Entrepeneur site that I want to post here as well as I think it was full of great info....
‘Simplifying Insurance’ by Jocelyn Wiebe
I just ran a quote for my family of four, and found that a plan costing $604/mo had a $7,500 deductible for Primary Care & Specialists, a $500 deductible for prescriptions, a $35 co-pay for office visits, and only allowed two office visits per year. What a rip off!
This is just one crazy example of why there are 48 million Americans who are uninsured today. Insurance plans are just plain complicated, too expensive, and many people simply don’t know what questions to ask when looking for a quote. Too many people are flushing their hard-earned money down the toilet. There is a better way, than pay big bucks in premiums every month.
The cost of health coverage seems to be increasing every day, so what is a person to do? If you can’t afford full-blown health insurance, or have a high deductible plan and find yourself paying for everything out of pocket, there IS an alternative…check out Discount Medical Plans. These plans are fee-for-service, meaning you go to a participating provider, receive your discount, and pay the balance. You can even pair your Discount Plan with a high deductible insurance plan so if something catastrophic happens, you will have help after meeting your deductible. There is no limit to the number of visits as these plans are NOT insurance. There are NO deductibles, NO co-pays, NO waiting periods, and NO pre-existing condition clauses…Just a straight discount at participating providers.
Never heard of Discount Plans? Here are the top 10 reasons to do some research based on facts I know about one specific company:
1. Consumer driven - YOU CHOOSE your own doctor from the provider network, no insurance company tells you which provider you can visit. (Make sure you check to see if there are providers in your area before enrolling in a plan!)
2. No pre-existing condition clause - Everyone is eligible because it is a straight fee-for-service/discount plan. You present your card at participating providers, receive your discount, and pay the balance. Very simple.
3. Discount program for diabetics - Provides help with the cost of diabetic supplies.
4. Prescription Advocacy Program - Pay a flat fee for all your prescriptions each month. You must qualify by income for this program, so be sure to check the guidelines.
5. Hospital Advocacy Program - If you have no medical coverage and are admitted into the hospital, you could be paying those bills for a very long time. With the Hospital Advocacy Program, once your bill hits $2,500 (which happens by just using a few squares of that hospital toilet paper, it seems!), a professional advocate works with the hospital on your behalf to reduce your financial liability.
6. A 24-hour Nurseline. Don’t know if you need to see a doctor? Call the Nurseline and speak with a Registered Nurse first.
7. A Dental Plan – Also includes vision, prescription and chiropractic discounts.
8. Month-to-month subscription - You can cancel at any time.
9. Savings of 20-80% - Off all your healthcare needs.
10. Low cost – Plans are available ranging from $14.95 to $59.95 per month.
With 48 million Americans completely uninsured, another 100 million+ underinsured, and 7 out of 10 people without a dental plan, there is a real need for this alternative. Do yourself and favor and learn about insurance once a for all. It could save your business and your life!
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Jocelyn Wiebe worked as an elementary school teacher and at the WI Women’s Health Foundation before starting her own health benefits business. Her goal is to help as many people as she can secure affordable healthcare. For more information on the her business, check out www.discountsforyouandme.com. And if you want to get to know Jocelyn, visit www.freedomathometeam.com/jwiebe/about.
