Discount Cards and the American People

What began as a seemingly well-intentioned move on the part of the Bush Administration has quickly become a national controversy. In hindsight, many will argue that it was bound to happen - a government-sponsored prescription discount plan could only fan the flame of the already smoldering debate over who really profits from discount cards. The small but forceful opposition claims that no one but the group selling or distributing the cards really benefits from them. In fact, they protest, discount cards are great pretenders - intentionally, if not falsely, presented as insurance. With all the smoke and mirrors, it's difficult to ascertain fact from fiction, but, as with most great arguments, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

A pioneer and innovator in the discount health benefits industry, CBD has always filled a necessary gap for millions of uninsured, underinsured and insured Americans. We do not attempt to serve as a replacement for insurance; rather, we have designed our discount benefits to offset the ever-increasing cost of health care. Individuals and families without health insurance can receive significant savings on everyday health-related expenses, such as eyeglasses and prescription medications, which might otherwise be unaffordable. Underinsured individuals - even insured individuals with high deductibles - can reduce out-of-pocket expenses, as well as receive discounts for services normally not covered by insurance. Further, in many instances, discount plans for ancillary health services and products, such as vision, dental and chiropractic, often make better sense and can save more money than insured plans with high deductibles, caps, exclusions, and low reimbursements.

A good example of value is the CBD's pharmacy benefit. This plan guarantees the lowest possible prescription price on any given day at a participating local pharmacy. For uninsured individuals, particularly those on a fixed income, if the savings provided by a discount card can help ease the financial burdens associated with taking a maintenance medication, then it has provided a valuable service. Even for those with insurance, they can present both cards at the pharmacy to receive the lowest price available.

As for who really benefits from discount cards, it is our belief that member testimonials answer more effectively than we ever could. Of course, in asking this question, the opponents of discount cards are referring less to who actually benefits from the discounts, and more to who does or does not profit from the discount cards themselves. Although, thanks to the Bush Administration, the spotlight now shines brightly upon our segment of the industry, we've been providing quality services that work for more than twelve years and have learned a thing or two along the way. Most importantly, we've learned that quality provider networks and excellent customer service create a win-win scenario for all parties involved. And when the spotlight fades and things return to normal, we'll still be here doing business in exactly the same way.

While we recognize that much of the confusion regarding health discount cards has more to do with politics than with discount cards in general, we believe strongly in addressing the very real issues that have been raised. As health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-payments continue to increase at an alarming rate, the number of underinsured and uninsured Americans also rises. Unfortunately, we cannot reverse this trend for insurance products; but we can continue to provide non-insurance options to the growing number of individuals who need money-saving alternatives now!