AccessMedicalCard Launches Discount Mental Health Network

The new AccessmMedicalCard mental health network will make affordable mental healthcare a reality for the uninsured and self-pay patient

PLEASANTON, CA (PRWEB) May 29, 2004 ---The AccessMedicalCard Affordable Health Program announced today the launch of a new, reduced fee, Mental Health Network as the latest addition to the broad array of reduced fee health care programs the company has assembled for the self-pay patient. The AccessMedical Mental Health Network joins the companys other networks of doctors, dentists, physical therapists, diagnostic imaging centers and surgery centers that have come together to bring affordable health care to those without health insurance that covers the health services they and their families need.

This initiative will provide AccessMedicalCard members with significant discounts for outpatient mental health services by psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists in the AccessMedical Mental Health Network. Of the Companys 500 providers in the East Bay, 50 are mental health professionals dedicated to providing the counseling, medication and care patients need at prices that are reduced by 20% to 30% off of the providers usual and customary charges.

AccessMedicalCard also offers discounts on medical equipment and supplies and has contracts with local doctors for pain management, infertility medicine, sexual health, respiratory care, urgent care and a special program devoted to sleep disorders. Discounts on prescription medication will be added in coming weeks. AccessMedical is expanding into San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley and in some parts of San Mateo County.

The AccessMedicalCard program is not medical insurance but a discount program. The AccessMedical Provider Network is a PPO Network comprised of local physicians and providers whose commitment and passion is to provide affordable quality health care for the uninsured and for those who choose to pay for their health care services. Our providers extend to our members the same type of pricing they do to the largest insurance carriers in California," states
Neal Gilbert, President.

We have eliminated the paperwork for outpatient care", adds Gilbert, a 25 year veteran of the Bay Area health care scene. There are no deductibles, claim forms, waiting periods, age limits or pre-existing condition exclusion criteria" says Mr. Gilbert. AccessMedicalCard has made enrollment process fast and simple. In ten minutes or less, AccessMedicalCard members can enroll either online through AccessMedicalCards website, or by phone using the Companys toll-free number." Dr. Arlene Marcus, Ph.D., a psychologist practicing in Lafayette and Berkeley writes, The idea of a reduced fee Mental Health Network is long overdue. We have many patients who need medication but feel they do not have the resources to see a psychiatrist or receive extended care. I think your idea is excellent. I believe [members] will utilize this service for psychiatrist[s] who prescribe medications. I am pleased to be part of the AccessMedicalCard Network."

Members can print out their membership card and schedule an appointment ten minutes after they decide they need medical care. Patients who need to see a physician or counselor can call participants in the urgent care program and can usually get a same day appointment at far less then the cost of a visit to an emergency room," assures Gilbert.

Cost savings for physician office visits, diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, physical therapy and outpatient surgery or also up to 40% but can be as high as 90% (when compared to charges for the same procedures in a hospital)," says John Wilhelmy, M.D., a member of the Muir Orthopedic Specialty Medical Group. Dr. Wilhelmy further comments, We have designed a program to ensure that our members receive the highest quality of care, in their community, by their local physician, when they need it, at a price they can afford."

John Turns, MD an internist practicing in San Ramon, states, With AccessMedicalCard, there is no reporting of claims information to insurance companies and national medical history data bases such as the Medical Information Bureau. This will reduce the risk that patients will be denied health insurance in the future." Dr. Turns also adds, Patients are increasingly being denied health insurance because of medications they have used or procedures they had performed. This is a disturbing trend in the health insurance industry."

Unfortunately, the cost of traditional health care insurance has made coverage too expensive for many families and employers. The average health insurance premium for a family is $9,000 and consumes over 20% of the familys disposable income says a report in USA Today. To address this issue, AccessMedicalCard has developed the Show Them That You Care" program for businesses which enables employers to provide a comprehensive outpatient health benefit to their employees are have no coverage at all. We have programs that cost as little at $19.95 a month per employee", says Gilbert. We have made a basic health benefit affordable for small and large businesses alike" he adds.

Due to the high cost of health care many of our East Bay residents are unable to get the care they need," stated, John Wilhelmy, MD, an Orthopedic surgeon practicing in San Ramon, CA. As a provider, it is imperative that our ever-increasing community of uninsured children and adults have access to the highest quality of care, including mental health services. The AccessMedicalCard program is a significant step in this direction."

According to U.S. census figures for 2002, 6.4 million Californians, or 18.2 percent of the states population, lacked health insurance coverage which is more than any other state in this country. Many of our residents have health insurance programs that do not cover the counseling services offered by the dedicated psychologists and counselors in our network," says Gilbert. Whether a family or an individual needs help through a crisis in their life or long-term therapy and medication, our network providers are available to provide the services needed at reduced prices. Perhaps just as important is the fact that there is no reporting of visits to therapists or physicians to any insurance company or national medical data base like the Medical Information Bureau. Insurance companies are increasingly denying coverage to those who have a record of receiving mental health care. A simple prescription for an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication is enough to disqualify an individual from getting health insurance at all," comments Gilbert. With the AccessMedical Mental Health Network our members care is 'personal and private."

About AccessMedicalCard
AccessMedicalCard (a subsidiary of Surgical Care Centers, Inc, Pleasanton, CA) is a rapidly growing Bay Area health care program offered through a network of leading community physicians and outpatient providers dedicated to offering a web-enabled, reduced fee health care program for families, individuals and businesses. The health care professionals in the AccessMedical Provider Network, a PPO, are devoted to making affordable quality health care a reality for the uninsured and the self-pay patient. The AccessMedicalCard initiative provides an outpatient program for consumers to receive discounted quality health care and for Providers to meet the needs of their patients. For more information about AccessMedicalCard, please visit www.accessmedicalcard.com or call (925) 460-8895.