Mini-Med Plans Reduce Physician and Hospital Costs

A Discount Medical Plan provides access to PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) physician and hospital networks at reduced rates. It is not an insurance plan and no claims are submitted. Your bill will be discounted (repriced) and you are responsible for full payment of the adjusted bill.

A Mini-Med is a limited benefit indemnity health insurance plan which is issued with very few restrictions through age 64. Medical bills are submitted to the insurer for reimbursement up to the limits of the policy. The Mini-Med policy can be used with any medical provider and is not limited to any specific PPO network. It is commonly used in conjunction with a high deductible major medical policy to help "fill the gap" in coverage. Mini-Med Plans are considered supplemental coverage and are not meant to replace major medical policies.

Most Mini-Med policies include reimbursement for in-patient hospital procedures, surgical benefits, doctor visits, emergency treatment, and life and accident insurance benefits. All allow you to choose your desired level of coverage. Mini-Med plans do not use deductibles or co-pays. Some policies have 6-12 month wait periods for pre-existing conditions, while others have no restrictions or waiting periods at all for pre-existing conditions. Many require that you be employed or self-employed to qualify.

Mini-Med plans usually include access to doctor and hospital providers at wholesale (discount) pricing through PPO Networks. To receive discounts you must use a provider within the designated network. To receive maximum benefits from a Mini-Med Insurance Policy, always try to use a PPO network provider. The discounted bill can then be submitted to the insurance company for reimbursement. If you do not use a network provider you can still submit the bill for reimbursement, but you will not receive a discount on the bill. Most Mini-Med plans also include access to additional health discounts including dental, vision, and prescriptions.

Options	Doctor Visit	Hospital Stay
Using Only a Discount Medical Plan	Doctor Office Visit Retail Price:  $120 Bill repriced to approximately $70  Bill paid at time of service	One Night Hospital Stay   Retail Price $3,500/ night  Bill repriced to approximately $1,200  Payable within 30 days
Discount Medical Plan Out of Pocket	$70	$1,200
Using a Mini-Med Insurance Plan with an Out-of-Network Provider	Doctor Office Visit  Retail Price:  $120  Mini-Med Insurance pays $60 toward that visit	One Night Hospital Stay Retail Price $3,500/ night   Mini-Med Insurance pays $1,000 towards that stay
Mini-Med Insurance Out of Pocket	$60	$2,500
Using a Mini-Med Insurance Plan with a PPO Network Provider	Doctor Office Visit Repriced Bill $70  The bill is then submitted to Mini-Med Insurance Plan Mini-Med pays $60 Total Bill reduced to $10	One Night Hospital Stay Repriced Bill $1,200 The bill is then submitted to Mini-Med Insurance Plan Mini-Med pays $1,000 Total Bill reduced to $200
Out of Pocket	$10 Per Visit	$200 Per Day

This chart represents hypothetical situations. Actual results in your geographical area may vary.