Scott Miller did not have health insurance. How did he save over $82,000 on his heart surgery? His hospital bill was more than $150,000. His remaining cost was around $50,000, to be paid in installments. Now that is a huge savings that came out to even more than 50 cents on the dollar. He had a patient advocate come in and negotiated with the hospital on his behalf to get his bills reduced based on his ability to pay. Here's how.

Having a heart attack is scary enough, not to mention the cost of such an ordeal these days. For us folks without any kind of health plan at all, because it is too expensive, we have pre-existing conditions, or age limits, not to mention a whole lot of other reasons why some of us cannot get affordable healthcare options these days, it is downright discouraging. Most of us just pray nothing major happens and take it from there. But what if something does happen? Then what? With the huge cost of healthcare these days hanging over our heads, what do we do?

I have found a couple different options available that work, besides medicare and medicaid for the rest of us. There IS another, just like in Return of the Jedi. There is another Skywalker. First, there are very affordable healthcare benefit plans out there that cost very little and offer huge discounts. One such very reputable company is Ameriplan USA, the nation's premiere medical discount plan organization. They also have exceptional ratings with the BBB. They offer two different discount programs that are suitable for any age group, cover all on-going medical/dental conditions, there is no waiting period and no forms to fill out. Ameriplan dental benefit, starts at $11.95 month for an individual or $19.95 month for an entire household,(plus a one time $20 registration fee) even if you are not related and includes free vision, discount prescription plan, and chiropractic benefits. Even if you are on medicare or medicaid this can still be used as a supplement. NO one is denied. They also have a 30 day money back guarantee.

The best part is the price. Folks receive savings up to 80% at the dentist, save on vision care (up to 60%), up to 80% on prescription drugs, discount chiropractic plan, savings are up to 50%. You also save 50% or more on all medical care procedures with the Ameriplan Health. Included with this is the Patient Advocacy Program, run by the Karis Group. So if you ever need emergency, heart open surgery, or something else major, you have an advocate. How that works is for any bill over $2,500, including multiple bills for every one incident, they will come in and negotiate with the hospital on your behalf based on your ability to pay and save you 5 times or more than what you would normally have to pay if you had no form of health insurance whatsoever. What Scott did have, was only this, Ameriplan Health, low cost health plan.

Another option, if you are already fairly healthy and already have health insurance, but feel you are paying too much, is to switch to a high catastrophic plan, to lower your monthly premiums, then get a discount plan on the front end, like Ameriplan which still keeps you covered but puts money back into your pocket every month (over a year's time that really adds up). Then, you would still have the discount program available to help with the higher deductible in the event something major were to happen so you would not have to pay all that, say, $5,000 out of pocket.

Lastly, you could to take the extra money you'd be saving every month by switching to a higher catastrophic plan with your current insurance company, and put it into a health savings accout- also known as an HSA. These are totally tax free accounts. Then, again, if something major were to happen, that money would be there to help with medical bills while you would also have your discount program on the front end as well with your catastrophic health insurance plan.

Any way you look at it, you would still be able to Save Over $82,000 on heart surgery, depending on what your specific healthcare needs are, and it is well worth it in the end. Finally! a low cost health plan, so you can sign up, an, affordable healthcare plan so you can keep it!