With tough economic times and high health insurance quotes, a growing number of individuals are purchasing health discount cards instead of health insurance. Although these cards are not insurance, they do provide discounts for health care services and prescription medication. Online health insurance companies are bombarding the Internet with discount card advertisements. Before purchasing a health discount card, individuals should beware of scams and problems that may occur when using the discount cards.

The majority of discount card programs require the person to pay a membership fee for the health card which in return will save anywhere between 10 and 80 percent on doctor visits, prescriptions, and other health care services. The service providers accept the reduced rates to reach more customers. Although some people have saved a lot of money with reputable discount cards, others have found problems with the cards.

Watch out before you drop your regular health insurance for the discount card, as you may find yourself with significant health problems later on and be unable to find any affordable health insurance quotes. Also, the majority of cards will not cover hospital stays, terminally ill patients, or catastrophic problems. They are used generally for routine medical care. Even brand name discount cards are problematic. Most cards will have a list of medical providers that will accept the discount card. The problem is that there is no guarantee that every medical provider on the list will accept the discount card. Many individuals are left paying the full amount for medical services when certain doctors would not accept the card and some claimed they never heard of the company.

Before purchasing a health discount card, one should add up the total cost of the membership, amount of savings and fees to make sure their savings are significant. If they are already paying for health insurance, a discount card may end up costing them more than they are saving. In this case purchasing a discount card just for prescriptions may be a better option. If you are planning on purchasing a discount card through an online health insurance company, be careful about disclosing personal information and thoroughly research the company. Never give away personal information such as your mother's maiden name and social security number.

Health insurance discount cards can save you money with the proper research. Compare different health insurance quotes to the cost of the discount card. Make sure that the health care providers in your area will accept the card before purchasing it. Read the fine print and make sure the company will issue a refund if you are not happy with the card. Doing your homework can save you hundreds of dollars on medical expenses.