Having Health Insurance Is Not the Same as Having Health Benefits. High Deductibles Leave Many Without Basic Maintenance Health Benefits. www. LowerMyDoctorBills. com Offers Affordable Solutions.
The healthcare crisis goes beyond the 45 million uninsured Americans. Individuals and families buying health insurance are forced to take high deductibles, $2500 to $5000 to make premiums affordable. This means that, in many cases, basic health benefits such as emergency care, check ups, prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing and chiropractic are not covered. Where's the benefit in that?
(PRWEB) September 29, 2004 -
The soaring costs of health insurance are forcing individuals and families to select higher and higher deductibles in order to make the plans affordable. But, the question is: Do you have health benefits?
There is plenty debate on how to fix the health care crisis. President Bush proposes promotion of the health savings accounts or HSAs. HSAs combine high deductible insurance plans with tax-deductible savings accounts to help fund the out of pocket expenses. The plans have merit and some families will definitely benefit from their use. Here's the problem.
Families are already buying high deductible plans to keep monthly premiums within budget. HSAs mean that they can put aside money to pay for the out of pocket expenses, such as the deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. However, these plans don't include the basic maintenance benefits. Dental cleanings, vision and hearing tests are not being performed on many children due to limitations on some health plans.
Gail Lynn Moore, owner of wwwLowerMyDoctorBillscom and a licensed insurance agent in California says "I try to educate my clients on how to build health benefit packages for themselves and their families. I usually recommend $2500, $3000 or $5000 deductibles, but help clients weigh those plans against not having doctor visits paid for, or prescription coverage included. Sometimes a discount benefit card will do the trick. No, they're not insurance, but offer valuable benefits that are not available in many individual health insurance plans."
In response to some critics who suggest using discount plans to meet the deductible isn't the best way to go, she replies, "I'm not suggesting that the plan be used to fill the deductible gap. I recommend the client buy the discount plan for the benefits. Most of these expenses would not count towards the deductible. For example, a $1000 dental benefit with two free annual cleanings per family member would be a benefit worth having."
Moore cautions, "Not all discount benefit cards are created equal. I market the International Association of Businesses (IAB) cards for several reasons:
1) The non-profit association, founded in 1982 has been committed to delivering benefits to American families,
2) they offer four different levels of benefits, providing more flexibility in designing a health package,
3) the long term care advisor makes the Classic plan ideal for seniors struggling with the high cost of prescriptions and the possible need for long term care in the future and
4) the Money Back Rewards Program is simply frosting on the cake."
Consumers need to understand that having health insurance does not mean that they necessarily will have health benefits. Having health insurance and still being uninsured doesn't make a lot of sense. Access to affordable health benefits is here today. At www. LowerMyDoctorBills. com, they really are changing the way America buys healthcare.
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