Do Discount Fees for Medical Service Programs Really Work?

Having a health insurance policy provides a great sense of security for many families. Most people with health insurance usually have it through their employer and the employee and the employer may share the responsibility on paying the premium. Even though health insurance coverage provides a great benefit, it also provides a great fear that looms over our heads. The fear of not being able to afford health insurance or not having health insurance can provide great difficulty to many people.

We can also see a trend that more people do not have job-based health insurance. I'm sure if you have been in the work force for the last 5-10 years you can see that rates are rising every year (I have experienced a 20% increase in my rate last year alone) and with those high rates we have to pay more of a deductible. You have to wonder how long the middle class family can sustain health coverage. Plus I know supplemental Health Insurance (specifically Dental and Vision Care) is out of the question for me to provide to my family. It really is a shame isn't it?

So our system is faced with many challenges, perhaps our healthcare system needs a total overhaul. So what are we to do? Well, I'm not sure if there is anything we can do to change the entire system immediately. However, if you are like me we can do something that will help limit the costs of supplemental Health Care. For those who cannot afford the additional $100.00 per month for Dental Care on top of your $650.00 plus payment for medical insurance, I would suggest into researching a supplemental health care program.

Basically, most of these programs contact providers to provide discounts to program member card holders. Some have many questions about the validity of these programs. I had doubts myself. However it is really how I look at healthcare in general that raised my doubts. Most of us have a "Health Insurance" mindset and we expect all of our providers to be available and only pay $30 for the care we need. The approach is different with medical discount cards.

The best way to look at such a program is to evaluate where you stand with your current health care coverage: If you do not have insurance for Dental Care or Vision Care, then you have to work at making the best as to what you have. Medical Discount Card programs provide a good alternative and they do save you money. However, I learned it takes persistence and a little work. The benefit you get with persistence and little bit of work is you have control over your costs and the care you receive.

Another immediate concern I had was my provider was not listed with the plan I had. However, I researched the Dentist's available with my plan and found someone suitable for the care I needed. So the extra time spent on finding a dentist gave me two benefits: (1) Control over my care and (2) Savings on the services itself.

So even though health costs and coverage for those costs are sky rocketing. The middle class American family can still save money with a little research and persistence. As we have access to less and less services, there are alternatives that can take advantage of to help our families.

Topher John is a webmaster for http://www.mybenefitsavings.com and http://beinbusiness.net and he specializes in building internet small businesses. His interests are the healthcare industry, specifically how it relates to the family and physical fitness.

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Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes a statement at a news conference Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Chicago, after he was impeached by the Illinois House on a wide array of offenses including criminal corruption and wasting taxpayers money. The two-term Democrat becomes the first governor in the history of Illinois to be impeached. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.



Smoke caused by explosions from Israeli military operations hangs in the sky over the outskirts of Gaza City as seen from the Israel-Gaza Border, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. The U.N. Security Council called for an 'immediate' and 'durable' cease-fire in Gaza, but an intense bombardment of missiles from Israeli jets and helicopters early Friday and a barrage of Hamas rockets indicated there would be no rapid end to the fighting. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.



Steve Pruitt, from Belle Chasse, La., fills out an employment application during a Dollar General job fair in Metairie, La., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009. The nation's unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest since early 1993, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)AP - A staggering 2.6 million jobs disappeared in 2008, the most since World War II, and the pain is only getting worse with 11 million Americans out of work and searching. Unemployment hit a 16-year high of 7.2 percent in December and could be headed for 10 percent or even higher by year's end.



President-elect Barack Obama stands with CIA Director-designate Leon Panetta as he answers questions during a news conference in Washington,  Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Facing unwelcome resistance from fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama is encouraging critics of his $800 billion economic recovery plan to "just show me" their own ideas.



In this Dec. 17, 2008 file photo, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at City Hall in Buffalo, N.Y.  In an interview with conservative radio talk-show host and filmmaker John Ziegler, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin questioned whether Kennedy was getting better treatment than Palin did as Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate.  (AP Photo/Don Heupel, File)AP - She messed up her first interviews, didn't show much of a grasp of the issues and, dontcha know, had a speech pattern that was widely mimicked.



Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas is shown in this undated handout file photo released Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. Thomas, who has a history of mental problems is being treated at a prison psychiatric unit after authorities said he pulled out his only good eye and ate it.  He similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial in 2004. (AP Photo/Texas Department of Criminal Justice, FILE)AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.



This photo released by Dr. David McDonald of Friendswood, Texas, shows a pine flycatcher bird he photographed on Jan. 4, 2009 in Choke Canyon State Park, Texas. (AP Photo/David McDonald)AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.



In this Nov. 28, 2005 file photo, actor Patrick Swayze poses for the photographers, prior to the premiere of his new film 'Keeping Mum' at a Leicester Square cinema in central London. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, file)AP - Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital for observation after contracting pneumonia, A&E President Abbe Raven announced Friday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.



In this booking mug shot released by Stow (Ohio) Police Department, Feliks Goldshtein is shown, Thursday, Jan.8, 2009. A  bank robber  may have tipped his intentions when he stood in line at an Ohio bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. Police say a teller asked the man, identified by police as Goldshtein, to take off the ski mask he was wearing iff before being served. At that point the man displayed what turned out to be a toy gun and told the teller to give him all the money.(AP Photo/Stow Police Department)AP - A man may have tipped his intentions when he stood in line at an Ohio bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. Police in Stow near Akron said 24-year-old Feliks Goldshtein of Highland Heights was arrested minutes later on Thursday following a brief car chase.



AP - Baseball authorized nearly 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to major leaguers claiming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the end of the 2007 season until the end of the 2008 season, according to a report released Friday by the sport's independent drug-testing administrator.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois January 9, 2009, as he points to Illinois residents that he clamed have been helped by the issues that are now being used as the Illinois House voted to impeachment him. (Stephen J. Carrera/Reuters)Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.



Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in Gaza as Israeli soldiers stand on a field outside the central Gaza Strip January 9, 2009. (Baz Ratner/Reuters)Reuters - Israel rejected a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday and warplanes and tanks pounded the Palestinian enclave.



Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin participates in a panel discussion about Poverty Alleviation at the Clinton Global Initiative, in New York, September 20, 2006. (Chip East/Reuters)Reuters - Robert Rubin, a former Treasury Secretary, resigned from Citigroup Inc on Friday following months of criticism of his performance at the giant U.S. bank, whose sinking share price led to a government rescue.



House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank speaks at the Office of Thrift Supervision National Housing Forum in Washington, December 8, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.



Employers slashed payrolls by 524,000 in December, driving the unemployment rate to its highest level in almost 16 years, a government report showed on Friday, suggesting that the year-long recession was deepening. (Graphic/Reuters)Reuters - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.



Voters fill their ballots during the U.S. presidential election in West Hollywood, California November 4, 2008. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.



A foreclosed home is seen in Stockton, California in this May 13, 2008 file photo. A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between financial giant Citigroup Inc  (Robert Galbraith/Files/Reuters)Reuters - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive.



A man works near a pressure gauge at a district heating plant in Skopje January 8, 2009. (Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters)Reuters - The European Union sought to finalize details on Friday of a gas monitoring deal to allow the resumption of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, which have been cut off for days over a pricing row.



A relative of Palestinian journalist Ihab al-Wihedi and his wife mourns prior to their funeral in Gaza City. Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.(AFP/Mahmud Hams)AFP - Tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza on Friday after Israel defied a truce order from the UN Security Council as the death toll from the two-week-old conflict against Hamas passed 800.



This US Navy photo shows the MV Sirius Star as it is observed at anchor by the US Navy. Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.(AFP/NVNS/David B. Hudson)AFP - Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.




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