Individuals Prepaid health plans can help pay for basic health care costs Debate rages on what can be done to fi the healthcare system in this country. With the almost 50 million people without access to affordable medical insurance, and rising healthcare costs across the nation, there obviously is no quick fi in sight. While legislators on the federal and state level talk about what can be done, in communities across the nation healthcare providers are doing something about it. In Clinics like the one run by Doctor Victor Wood in West Virginia, practitioners are trying to help patient's cope with the high cost of healthcare by offering something new prepaid health care plans. The doctor saw a growing need for his patients to have a better way to pay for basic healthcare. Many of his patients do not have health insurance, others have purchased affordable health insurance, but with high deductibles. His idea of prepaid healthcare helps health insurance do what it was designed to do, protect families in the case of catastrophic illness. For a flat fee of around $120 a month for a family and $80 for an individual, those who enroll receive unlimited access to basic and urgent healthcare, including office visits, lab work, -rays, and dispensing of generic drugs. The idea of prepaid healthcare is not only helping the patients, but it is helping the doctors maintain a steady income for the practice, which had been saddled by bad debt and low reimbursements from health insurance companies. More and more consumers are purchasing low-cost health insurance policies with high deductibles. Some of the top health insurance companies have been reacting to this demand by introducing more options of the so-called Consumer Driven High Deductible Health Plans. These plans have been one recent measure that is helping more people gain access to affordable health insurance. However such plans do require a high deductible. The plans are coupled with Health Savings Accounts (HSA) from which policy holders can draw funds in pre-ta dollars to help pay for qualified medical epenses, until such deductibles are met. Prepaid health plans like the one devised by Dr. Wood, and springing up by other practitioners across the country, are another great adjunct to such consumer driven health insurance plans. Prepaid healthcare programs make basic healthcare that much more affordable, and people with the high deductible health insurance plans, can use funds from their HSA to pay for the monthly fee. Dr. Wood's clinic is one of hundreds such facilities being operated by doctors nationwide that have begun to offer the flat-rate, pay-in-advance healthcare plans. Though still in their infancy, supporters of the idea say that the concept offers a solution to two sides of the growing healthcare crisis. One, the growing lack of general practitioners and primary care providers, and two, the epanding number of Americans without health insurance at all or without access to affordable medical insurance that provides coverage for basic healthcare.

Prepaid health plans are emerging. there are many but I am a member of the Equityhealth Plan. The EquityHealth Plan offers prepaid health plans that include Hospitalization and primary care for about 2500 per person per year.This model of health care is built on the concept that the consumer wants a guarantee that they will get care if needed. Health Insurance only guarantees access, not service availability or payment for services rendered, even though many believe they do actually guarantee payment.The providers in the EquityHealth Plan are paid up front for an annual contract that may be unlimited or have specific limits that are very clear to the consumer. They are completely transparent, and require no deductible co pay or co insurance.The savings are enormous for the provider as many providers spend up to 35% of their income dealing with insurance claims, the insurance companies eat up another 20% leaving only 45% for care to be delivered to you. In the EquityHealth model, you goal is their goal. The system lave 85% of the contributions in place fro purchasing care.The EHP has Health Care Agents that will shop the market for you and align a provider that meets your needs. Prepaid doctors are also emerging. In Dawsonville Georgia there is an annual membership to a full service clinic for just $550 a year. Specialists and hospitals are getting on board as well.Prepaid is the most effective way for you to purchase health care. In comparison, in my experience, buying health insurance is simply throwing your money away.

Source: http://www.myehp.com