JACKSON ADVOCAl'E

JACKSON, M S
C rculabon = 24000
WEEKLY I
11120/2008
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Be wary of discwnt medial proNrams 1
,,
.?VJA~SW i t h ercFhting health care costs and all . P l a t are the benz&-of the discount?
kpes of budget pinches, consumers are more fie-
~uenrlv -
. . lookine into medical discount mo-
grams~cardsas a way to save money and easecost
.What products and services are covered?
.Wihich are not covered?
-Which local healthEareproviders andfacllities ac-
~~ ~
1
burdens. ~lthoughthey maybe amactive option, the cept the discount card?
Better Busmess Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to -Whom do I call if I have problems with the dis-
be cautious by doing their research and asking the count plan?
right questions before signing up. .Can I cancel my membership at any time? If so,
Accordiug to Bill Moak, PresidenVCEO of the is there acancellation fee, and what is the refundpol-
Slississippi BBB, 'Discount medical cards may seem icy?
like a p a t way to eut healthcare costs, but con- Before makmg an) purchase decisions, wnsumers
sumas can fmd themselves d n g bad decisions on should k t check out the company with the BBB -
these plans that end up costing a lot mors than they o n l i e at w%v.ms.bbb.org or by calling 800-987-
sa\ e. The BBB has reeeived complaiutj Erom people 8280.
who signed up for these discount programs and were The BBB has been serving Mississippi consurnen
sxtremely disappointed with the lack of convenience since I964 by providing valuable pre-purchare eom-
and savings realized" pan)-information as well a s assisting c o m a s with
Before si,ging up for any discount medical care or business compiainr issues.
card progam the BBB advisa con-
sumers to a.ck the following ques-
tions:
.\Chat is the annual cost of the
plan? Dou't be swayed by exagger-
ated sa\ lngs claims.