If you’ve ever left the doctor’s office or pharmacy counter with your heart racing at the cost of your health care, you’re not alone. For many families, finding health insurance that works for their budget feels nearly impossible.
Between premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs, paying for essential medications, eye care, and more can drain your monthly budget. And, if you don’t have insurance, it can feel almost impossible to keep up with rising costs.
That’s why affordable alternatives like AmeriPlan’s prescription discount program and other discount plans can make such a difference. This blog will break down exactly how AmeriPlan’s health benefits help families save money on prescriptions, vision, and more, all without sacrificing quality care.
A Quick Breakdown of Traditional Insurance
When most people think about covering their medical costs, traditional health insurance plans are usually the first health coverage options that come to mind. A traditional health insurance provider offers insurance plans that share medical expenses with you in exchange for a monthly premium. Dental insurance works similarly to help cover cleanings, exams, and procedures like crowns or orthodontics.
Both aim to provide quality coverage, but their high costs and strict limitations often leave families looking for better care. Before exploring alternatives, it helps to understand the basics of traditional insurance plans.
Components of Health Insurance Payments
Here are the key components that make up typical health insurance costs:
- Monthly Premium: Your fixed monthly payment to maintain health coverage, whether you use medical services or not.
- Deductible: The amount you pay before your insurance company starts paying for certain services.
- Copayments: Set fees for covered visits or prescriptions, like paying $30 to see a provider or fill a prescription.
- Coinsurance: Your share of costs after reaching your deductible, often 20-30% per visit or procedure.
- Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The most you’ll pay in a year before your insurance covers 100% of covered care.
The Costs of Traditional Insurance
Have you ever wondered why your insurance premiums or out-of-pocket costs are so high? Several factors play into how much you pay for traditional health insurance options. Here are the main ones to keep in mind:
- Age
- Location
- Plan category (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum plans)
- Tobacco use
- Health history
- Number of people covered
AmeriPlan: Bringing Discount Plans for Affordable Care
If traditional insurance plans aren’t working for your family, you’re not out of options. AmeriPlan’s health plan offers products and services designed to reduce medical expenses without high premiums or confusing documentation. Unlike traditional insurance, AmeriPlan provides discount benefit plans that give you access to pre-negotiated medical services, dental care, vision coverage, and prescription drugs at lower rates.
Types of Discount Plans
Discount health plans aren’t insurance. They’re programs you join for a low monthly fee to access discounted medical services. AmeriPlan offers three main types:
- Health Discount Plan: Covers medical, mental health services, chiropractic, and prescription drugs.
- Dental Discount Plan: Provides savings on exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns, orthodontics, and even specialized services like surgical extractions.
- Combined Plan: Looking for the most comprehensive option? Our Combined Plan offers both dental and health savings, plus access to telehealth, hearing, and vision care.
AmeriPlan’s Discount Plans
AmeriPlan offers three main discount family plans designed to fit different needs and budgets. Each plan provides immediate savings without the hassle of insurance paperwork or approvals. Here’s what each specific plan offers.
AmeriPlan Dental Plus
The AmeriPlan Dental Plus plan is one of the most popular options, costing only $19.95 per month for your entire household. This plan focuses on making routine and preventive care more accessible by offering discounts in multiple areas of dental and health care:
- Dental discounts on cleanings, fillings, exams, crowns, and orthodontics at a nationwide network of over 100,000 dentists.
- Vision savings at over 12,000 optical providers for eye exams, frames, lenses, and specialty eyewear.
- Prescription discounts at 65,000+ pharmacies nationwide.
- Telehealth with U.S. board-certified doctors and pediatricians by phone, available seven days a week.
- Hearing care discounts for exams and hearing aids.
AmeriPlan Deluxe Plus
If you’re looking for comprehensive savings across almost every area of healthcare, the AmeriPlan Deluxe Plus plan is worth considering. At only $39.95 per month for your entire household, this plan benefits option combines all the benefits of Dental Plus with additional medical support services. This makes it an excellent choice for families who want broader coverage without high insurance premiums.
Here’s what you get:
- All Dental Plus benefits.
- Hospital benefits like bill negotiation, surgery cost savings, and healthcare navigation.
- Substantial savings on diagnostic imaging, radiology services, and lab work through their national ancillary medical services network.
- Chiropractic care from a network of over 7,500 participating doctors, which includes free consultations and discounted sessions.
Telehealth Plus
For families primarily needing telehealth access and prescription savings, AmeriPlan’s Telehealth Plus benefit plan offers a budget-friendly option at only $9.95 per month for your entire household. You get:
- Unlimited telehealth access to U.S. board-certified doctors and pediatricians by phone, seven days a week.
- Immediate prescription discounts at over 65,000 participating pharmacies nationwide.
- Affordable pre-negotiated rates for in-office visits when needed.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Health Plan
Choosing the right coverage for your family can feel overwhelming, especially when weighing traditional insurance against discount health plans like AmeriPlan. Some key factors to consider to help you make the best decisions for your needs and budget include:
- Procedures Covered: Always look at coverage details, like what procedures and services are included in writing. Traditional insurance often covers major procedures after deductibles, while discount plans provide immediate savings on a wide range of products and services, from dental cleanings to eye exams.
- Cost: Compare premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs versus a discount health plan’s flat, low monthly fee and discount rates.
- Provider Network: Check whether your preferred doctors, dentists, or specialists are part of the plan’s network. Insurance networks can be restrictive, while discount plans like AmeriPlan typically have wide networks with thousands of participating providers nationwide.
- Flexibility and Convenience: Consider how easy it is to use certain health plans. Unlike insurance companies, discount plans often have no paperwork, no waiting periods, and no deductibles, so you can get care quickly.
- Your Family’s Health Needs: Consider your family’s routine care, preventive care, mental health, and virtual care needs when selecting a specific plan. If you mostly need preventive care, dental visits, prescriptions, and occasional doctor consultations, a discount plan may provide the savings you’re looking for without the high premiums of traditional insurance.
Find Affordable Health Care and Peace of Mind with AmeriPlan
Trying to balance medical expenses with everyday life is hard, but it doesn’t have to be stressful or unaffordable. With AmeriPlan’s health plans, you get the benefits your family needs without worrying about insurance denials, open enrollment, or strict limitations of traditional insurance.
AmeriPlan understands the importance of quality care for your well-being. We stand by inclusivity, regardless of sexual orientation, national origin, or marital status, and work with licensed agents to ensure families get the best coverage options possible.
We’re here to support everyday families like yours to access the services you need at prices you can manage. Take control of your health today. Visit our discounted health benefit plans to find the plan that helps your family stay healthy and save money without the stress of traditional insurance.