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Alternatives to Rising Healthcare Costs | |
As congress and taxpayers battle over who is to foot the bill for what; there has been a slowly emerging solution for most. New companies founded in the past decade are offering deep discounts on health services and prescriptions. The concept is simple. Negotiate with providers to provide their members with a discounted rate. In exchange the members pay a low monthly or annual fee to access the companies providers. In return members save anywhere from 20% to 80% on services obtained. They are the wave of the future and making services that were once unaffordable obtainable. In fact, the notion is catching on even in the White House. President George W. Bush announced last year (July 2001) a plan to offer discount cards to senior citizens to help them buy prescription drugs. For Tracy Moulton, a 33-year old model in Houston, maintaining her appearance is a professional imperative. Tracy's insurance won't cover steep fees for procedures like laser eye surgery. So 3 years ago, she decided to try a new approach to keeping her health costs down. Tracy signed up with a discount benefit plan. After tallying last year's health bills, including LASIK eye surgery and expensive tooth-whitening and bonding procedure, she says she pocketed close to $4,000 in net savings. These arrangements particularly make sense for families with exorbitant health expenses that their insurance won't cover, such as braces and prescriptions. People whose insurance has high deductibles and low limits also stand to reap savings. There is hope!!! | |
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