Health Care Costs Got You Down? How About A Discount Health Plan? Up to 80% off of medical care, dental, chiropractic, vision, drugs&#33

[rayzoredge 2]

Yes, it seems a little hyped up. It probably is. But if you're looking for a discount health plan to reduce the cost of health care and any costs incurred within the medical field, you might want to take a look into AmeriPlan.

 

I'm not going to give you a sales pitch. I would rather tell you straight-up that if you went to go check out the AmeriPlan website right now for potential members to see what they can offer you, you would either be signing up or leave skeptical because of the hyped-up language that they use on their website.

 

First off, AmeriPlan offers discount plans, which are NOT health insurance policies. (This is explicitly emphasized on their website.) The difference is that a discount health plan offers discounts on various medical-related costs, including prescriptions, procedures, and even office visits, whereas health insurance COVERS most if not all of your costs, but with a hefty monthly premium. Discount plans, on the other hand, cost much less per month, but you also have to factor in the possibilities of incurring enough medical costs in a given period of time to match what you would pay for an insurance premium. Personally, I would encourage that you get insurance, but in the case that insurance does not cover what you require medically, or if you can't afford insurance, or if you believe that you could possibly save money with a discount health plan instead of a traditional health insurance policy, you might want to consider AmeriPlan's offerings for their medical, dental, chiropractic, and vision discounts with their various plans.

 

With that being said, you may be wondering what each plan may offer for you. Straight off of the website, here are the various plans that you can sign up for and what they cover, in general:

 

Medical Care - Basic Wellness and Total Health and Total Health Plus ($14.95/$29.95/$59.95)

Dental Care Plus ($14.95/mo)

 

Also being offered is SecureNet, which is basically an identification-theft service that you can tack onto any combination of plans for an additional $20.00 per month or purchased separately for $24.95 per month.

 

I personally hate how murky some descriptions are for medical coverage, so I will try my best here to cover what each plan will cover.

 

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Basic Wellness

 

Simply put, this provides discounts for vision, nurse-line medical assistance, prescription drugs, and a hearing plan for the entire household.

 

For vision, you can save from 10% up to 60%, plus additional discounts on:

frames, lenses, tints, scratch-resistant coatings and UV protection

ophthalmology eye exams, LASIK surgery

contact lenses, including daily wear, extended wear, disposable, tinted, bifocals, and gas-permeable

designer non-prescription sunglasses

For prescription medication, you can save 10% up to 85% on:

most brand-name and generic prescription drugs

over the counter medications

For the NURSELINE program, you get:

a staff of highly-qualified registered nurses (RNs) that can give you and your household members immediate and unlimited access to healthcare professionals and providers, available 24/7

For hearing, you get 25% up to 40% and additional discounts on:

hearing services

hearing products

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Dental Plus

 

Simply put, this provides discounts for dental, vision, prescription drugs, and a hearing plan.

 

Dental has discounts for things like:

exams

x-rays

cleaning

fillings

root canals

crowns

orthodontic treatments

dental work (including ongoing dental problems)

Chiropractic has 30% up to 50% discounts for things like:

all diagnostic services and required x-rays

treatment and most other services

Vision and prescription medication benefits are as described for Basic Wellness.

 

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Total Health

 

This plan basically includes everything described above plus additional services. It includes:

Dental

Vision

Prescription

Chiropractic

Medical

Ancillary Services (includes physical therapy, labs, imaging, hearing, mental health, and diabetic services)

Hospital Advocacy

NurseLine

Podiatry Services

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Total Health Plus

 

This plan is the whole enchilada. It includes EVERYTHING the Total Health Plan has, and also includes the following:

 

AmeriPlan Auto Club - Compare this with roadside assistance or AAA and you've got the idea of what this plan offers. The first $50.00 of emergency roadside or towing services are free; additional services are discounted by at least 25% of retail price.

 

AmeriPlan Identity Theft Assistance - This plan addresses the main problems of today's identity theft issues: prevention and resolution in the case that it happens to you.

 

AmeriPlan Legal - If you ever need legal assistance, this plan gives you a free one-hour initial consultation for each occurrence and any ongoing legal fees receive a 25% discount, along with resources for your own research provided by AmeriPlan.

 

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If anyone wants any more information on these plans or if you are interested in signing up for them to complement your health care plan, let me know and I'll hook you up. The great thing about these plans that I didn't mention earlier is that they are refundable if you aren't satisfied! (The red tape with that is that there is a one-time, non-refundable registration fee of $30 for each plan - out of the four available - you sign up for. The dental plan actually has a registration fee of $20.)

 

Edit: I also forgot to mention that if you are interested in any of these plans, please take a look at seeing if there are adequate providers in your area before PMing me. if you forget to, I'll probably check for you anyway... no sense in signing up for a program that you can't benefit from, right? You can find a list of providers in your area here.

Edited August 31, 2009 by rayzoredge (see edit history)

[rayzoredge 2]

Also, I would like to bring to attention an FAQ from AmeriPlan's website, just in case this might answer any potential questions you may have that I didn't cover by describing the plans:

 

AmeriPlanŽ is a Discount Medical Plan Organization. We arrange for our members to have access to dental, vision, chiropractic pharmaceutical and medical providers who have agreed to offer their services at negotiated discounts off their usual and customary fees.

How much discount do Dental Plus members get on dental fees?

Members can save 25% - 65% on all restorative and cosmetic work (fillings, crowns, braces, etc.) and up to 80% on preventative work (teeth cleaning, x-rays, etc.) performed by a general dentist. Specialist fees are discounted 15% to 25%. Are ongoing dental/medical problems (conditions) included?

Since AmeriPlanŽ is NOT INSURANCE OR A HEALTH ORGANIZATION, all ongoing dental/medical problems (conditions) are accepted except for contracted treatment plans including orthodontic treatment in progress.

What is the waiting period, deductible, etc.?

There is no waiting period before you can start using most of your discount advantages! And, there are no deductibles, no paperwork to fill out, and no limits on visits to your providers!

How much is the program membership fee? How do I pay?

The Dental Plus membership is only $19.95 per month for an entire household! A household membership includes all residents in the household including parents, children, relatives, significant others, and all permanent residents of the household! Monthly or quarterly payments are made only by electronic bank draft or credit card. Invoicing is done only for annual memberships paid one year in advance.

How much more do the Pharmacy, Vision, and Chiropractic programs cost?

The Prescription Drug, Vision, and Chiropractic programs are absolutely FREE with the Dental Plus Membership!

Who are the Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, Vision, and Chiropractic Care providers?

AmeriPlanŽ has assembled one of the largest networks of providers in the country, and we are constantly adding to this base. Our network has tens of thousands of medical practitioners, almost 30,000 dentists, more than 12,000 vision care providers, some 50,000 pharmacies and more than 7,500 credentialed chiropractors.

How do I use the discount program?

Within 10-14 days of receipt of your application at corporate headquarters in Plano, TX, you receive a Member Information Guide, Membership Identification card(s), and a Dental, Pharmacy, Vision, and Chiropractic Care Directory. Present your Membership ID card to any AmeriPlanŽ provider and you will be eligible to receive discounted fees. You pay the provider at the time of service.

Can I purchase the medical plan without including the Dental Plus program?

Yes

Can the medical plan be used in conjunction with health insurance plans?

Yes, but it is at the physician's discretion whether to accept both. As with our Dental Plus plan, a member's insurance should always be the primary form of payment.

Will my medical plan members receive a discount?

All members should receive a minimum 15% discount.

Why would a medical professional participate in the AmeriPlanŽ Consumer Driven Health Care Program?

There are many reasons. Some of the most important are:

Patient care and treatment are put back into the physician's hands.

The provider gets paid at the time of care. Many insurance plans take up to 120 days for payment.

Office administrative costs are reduced. No paperwork to complete, file and follow up on.

Providers may receive a net increase in revenue to the practice versus insurance (HMO or PPO).

The provider is part of an affiliation of like-minded professionals, without being "under the thumb" of managed care.

AmeriPlanŽ provides members with quality, discounted healthcare.

Can you briefly describe the Hospital Advocacy Program?

The Hospital Advocacy program is designed to help members with their medical bills whenever a single hospital stay totals $2,500. Charges can be incurred from multiple providers. The patient advocate negotiates in behalf of the patient and pursues a wide range of options, from government entitlement programs to payment plans. There is a three-day waiting period from the active date of your membership to utilize this program.

How is the discount calculated?

The rates that the provider charges are determined based upon either a set fee schedule that the provider has contracted, or as a percentage off of their billed charges. In general, discounts will vary between 20% and 50%. Labs and diagnostics will have discounts of up to 80%.

Are the medical programs contracted on an annual basis and cancelable at any time, like Dental Plus?

Yes

How do I locate an AmeriPlan HealthŽ provider?

There are three ways to locate a provider:

A dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic directory of providers is included in your member information guide.

A provider locator is available at http://www.ameriplanusa.com/locate-a-provider.asp. This is particularly useful for medical providers.

Call AmeriPlan HealthŽ customer service at 800-647-8421.

Can the Medical Program be used with Medicare/Medicaid?

No. Medicare does not allow their providers to charge a Medicare patient a different price.

Are doctors reimbursed by AmeriPlanŽ for their services?

No. As with all of our health programs, the provider receives the full discounted fee from the member at the time services are rendered.

Can members downgrade from AmeriPlan HealthŽ to the Dental Plus Program?

Yes

If the doctor's office has lab facilities, can these be utilized rather than having to go to another lab?

Yes. The lab services will be billed up to a 40% discount.

Do members receive a fee schedule?

No. Fees will vary by zip code.

Do members receive a separate card for the Medical Program?

Yes. Approved household members receive four (4) cards; two AmeriPlan HealthŽ ID Cards and two Dental Program cards.

Are there programs for emergency services?

Yes. Emergency services may or may not be contracted with the Medical Program. Depending on the extent of the charges, these services may be eligible for the Patient Advocacy Program.

Will maternity be included?

All medical needs are included as long as we have contracted providers offering this service.

Will the member's privacy be protected?

AmeriPlanŽ is compliant with all HIPAA regulations.

Does medical include hearing tests and hearing aids?

Yes. Hearing Services will be included under our Ancillary Services providers.

Does the member have a choice of which hospital will be used?

Yes. The Patient Advocate will negotiate with any hospital of the member's choice.

Source, edited for readability and without images