Have you been suddenly exposed to the real world?  Cigna Health insurance dropped 2 million seniors nationwide! Humana dropped 113,000 people in Florida on December 1st, 2,000!  Many thousands of individuals are unable to obtain health insurance due to pre-existing conditions!  Are they forever left out in the cold?

Now again, let me stress
this is NOT insurance.

But, in fact, you can often utilize this Program if your insurance plan does not cover  some oddball procedure.  What about foreign service?  In the event of a medical emergency that cannot be handled thru a local medical facility the Air Ambulance will transport the patient to the nearest hospital. This service also assists you in obtaining local medical care from doctors who speak English, replace lost travel documents and assist you if other problems arise.  

Now why, you should be asking yourself, WHY would a doctor or a hospital be willing to slash so much off their bill?  

Remember that health insurance premium people send to insurance companies each and every month? A percentage of that premium is given to the PPO, (maybe $5 or $6 per month). So you see, the PPO is earning REVENUE on thousands of customers each month whether you need services or not! 

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? You bet it is! When hospitals have a waiting period of one week or more for emergency operations, they are loath to give anyone a break.

 I'm not telling you this is as good as insurance.  We know better.  You know better.  But, if you ( or someone you love ) can't be insured, or have a rateup, check this little package out.  You could save as much as:

• 60% on Hospitalization and Medical Services

• 40% on Prescriptions

• 60% on Dental

• 70% on Vision and Hearing

• 25% on Legal Services

• 50% on Chiropractors, yes, chiropractors.

• 30% on Home Healthcare and Nursing Home Facilities and Services

• and just to top it all off  you can SAVE UP TO:  25% on Veterinary Services

• Not to mention l0%-50% on Pet Supplies, Kennel Services and Grooming.

 Now, I've told you all I know, and maybe just a tad more than I know from telling some of it twice with peripatetic enthusiasm.  Now, let me help you get the information YOU need to make an intelligent decision about becoming a member of either Medical Savings Program or Care Entree -- which are the best two programs I've seen.

When you first start searching the web for non-insurance care, all other roads seem to lead to Care Entree even when a different name is given.  Care Entree is the one I signed up with.  They have a system of agents that are dedicated and available to answer my stupid questions.  

We used it for the first time to visit a doctor's office.  The staff had never seen a card like our Care Entree Card before.

It cost us $117.00 just for a short examination and a shot.  Where were the savings?  I could not tell.  Care Entree couldn't either, and has asked the doctor's office to submit an itemized bill.  

On the other hand, the savings on the prescriptions were obvious, and immediate even at Wal*Mart where prices are already low. 

For us, just the prescription savings alone are ALWAYS more than enough to pay us back for the monthly policy.  

The next week we went to see a surgeon.  The staff there had never seen a card like this one before either.  They called Care Entree as instructed, and when the dust settled, the entire staff was impressed enough with the savings they asked for the address of Care Entree.  We had saved over $240

The key there is SAVED.  These kinds of programs only work if you can pay your share -- immediately.  Otherwise, leave your gun at home and throw yourself on the mercy of the medical personnel! 

Note again that Care Entree and the other companies mentioned have an affiliate program that lets you make money by introducing your friends, family and neighbors to the program.

A final note:  I keep remembering Robert A. Heinlein's sage epigram:  There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.  

In order for programs like these to keep working there MUST be months when some people aren't saving a nickel, so that EVERYBODY (patients, doctors, and company) comes out ahead over the long run.

Epilogue:  If you can afford good insurance to deal with those catastrophical bills, see if you would save more money by getting a high deductible, and then use one of these savings plans.

Here is yet another DRUG discount program that I think is at least worth investigating.  I say this because (a) it is free.  (b) you can sign up for free.  (c) you can print out your own card and sashay right on down tot he drug store.  Other than providing you with the link I disclaim all liability for anything that happens after you follow it.  Here is the link..

Now, if you are on Mediare already, be sure to check out http://www.medicare.gov

And here is more information on other good discount programs:

http://pparx.com   *   http://togetherrxaccess.com   *   http://gskforyou.com

Meanwhile:  This question has been asked of me several times...

What is being done about the Americans who do not have Health Insurance of any kind?

There are University hospitals which give up on collecting debts owed to them rather quickly.  There are laws ordering hospitals to treat a certain number of the indigent, the VA treats the veterans without charge, noninsurance as found on 
http://www.talewins.com/Life/Nonins.htm etc. There are also charity drives and churches, community efforts, community organizations, and so forth for emergency operations.

In 1990 I interviewed every doctor in the Little Rock Arkansas metro area. Only one physician was treating the indigent free of charge. He went to them, house calls, street calls, and back alleys.

In 1995 I began interviewing doctors in Oklahoma City. I quit after I reached 15 who were anxiously engaged in treating the indigent.

Just today I went as a priesthood holder with a woman to get her hands operated on by a specialist. When the doctor learned why I was there and the financial circumstances of the woman she gladly reduced the cost of service by over 60% which we gladly paid.  That doesn't mean to take your minister with you, it means to TELL YOUR DOCTOR you are having financial troubles.

University hospitals in Little Rock now conduct regular on-the-spot training sessions by going to community buildings, churches, and other public facilities such as shelters. There they teach -- as well as treat -- physical hygiene on specific subjects such as foot care, eye care, dental, arthritis, and other subjects, all at no cost to the community. I believe many other university hospitals are doing the same in other states.

What else could be done? <One solution I've come up with is:  Offer free schooling to doctors and nurses in exchange for serving in community clinics, for free for the same amount of time it takes them to graduate.  Those who renege, would lose their license.