Is a Discount Medical Card Right For You?

People who are unable to obtain affordable health coverage have found discount medical cards to be helpful. The discount card can help you get more services for your money. Your out-of-pocket money will go further with a discount plan, whether you have health insurance or not. What you need to watch, however, is whether the total of your membership fees for a year is more than the money you saved in discounts over the year.
In other words, if the money you will pay to the discount plan is less than the money you saved, the discount plan will be of help to you. If you know you will spend a lot on health care services and prescriptions over the next year, it might help you to join.

For those people who cannot get health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, many discount health plans will not exclude you from joining. Unlike an insurance company, discount health companies do not pay the health provider for any services; they only guarantee discounts to you as a member.

• Make sure that the discount medical card covers the services you are likely to need.
• Verify that your health care provider(s) are participating members.
• Make sure you understand how much you will be charged for membership, including monthly and one-time fees.