Before my career shifted to online marketing, I was laid off from my job at a new Internet company and found myself without health insurance or dental coverage. The irony of this is that I had neglected a tooth that had been bothering me for quite some time when I actually had dental coverage. So while I had insurance, I just didn’t use it because… well, I absolutely hate going to the dentist! I was also not going to get my regular cleanings and checkups.

Luckily, once I was without dental insurance for the first time in years, the intensity and frequency of my toothaches increased. I would often find myself awake at night, sometimes to the point of crying. I was even fighting with my wife from planned date nights and socializing normally became agitated and moody due to pain. Not to mention the frustration I felt at not having health care or dental coverage to help my situation.

Unable to take it anymore, I made an appointment with my dentist and arranged to use a high-interest credit card to pay for any dental exams, treatment, and care needed to stop the pain. A routine exam confirmed that he needed around $3000 worth of dental work.

As I was leaving the dentist’s office, I noticed a packet of AmeriPlan brochures sitting on the office magazine rack. The receptionist didn’t know much about AmeriPlan when I asked about the brochures. She knew it was a discount health care, prescription drug, and dental plan that was accepted at the office. She advised me to research the specifics of the program on the web, since she was not allowed to advocate or promote the discount program.

Some say AmeriPlan dental savings is a scam, is it?

A Google search showed me several online forums where posters claimed that AmeriPlan is a scam. This alarmed me at first, but I had read the brochure carefully and understood that the company was not promoting itself as a health care provider or substitute for health insurance. I fully understood that I wasn’t just paying a small copay with each dental visit, like I was with health coverage; however, I would still benefit from savings at the dentist for each individual procedure and treatment.

It appeared that those who labeled AmeriPlan a scam did not accept that the program is a supplement or an alternative to dental and health care coverage in the form of a discount program. Others who posted about the AmeriPlan scam seemed to take offense to the fact that there are brokers selling the program online and in your neighborhood. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by the business model and was wondering if I should ask my broker about joining the business since I didn’t have a job and we were struggling. Obviously, that eventually happened, as I’m here today marketing AmeriPlan.

There were also some comments suggesting that the dentists who accepted AmeriPlan were the worst in the dental world and not very good. Pay no attention to this nonsense as my dentist accepts the AmeriPlan Dental Savings Card and has been voted the best dentist in Pittsburgh, PA countless times in various polls conducted by local newspapers and magazines. My advice is to simply scan the list of dentists in your area who accept the program before you sign in. That way, you’ll know for sure that there are participating providers within a reasonable distance of your home, and you can research their reputation online before you see someone you want. you are not familiar with.

AmeriPlan Dental Plus is not complete health care coverage, but it is a beneficial alternative to dental and health care coverage that may be your best chance to save at the dentist, eye doctor and chiropractor, plus savings at the pharmacy . I ended up saving almost $1000 off the original price quoted for nothing more than a $20/month AmeriPlan package that covered not only me, but my wife as well.

I was able to spread that $1000 savings elsewhere on things undoubtedly better than a root canal and not have to take on any more debt and max out my credit card. I felt comfortable signing up because there were no hidden fees and I could cancel at any time. I wasn’t signing any kind of contract term. The pharmacy savings I got with my AmeriPlan pharmacy discount card for my antibiotics and pain relievers and my wife’s acid reflux medication impressed me even more. Later, we expanded our plan to the AmeriPlan Healthcare package, which offers medical discounts in addition to the dentist and pharmacy savings of Dental Plus.

Visit http://www.altcareonline.com and click LOCATE PROVIDERS in the left navigation bar under My Benefits Plus to locate doctors, dentists and pharmacies in your area that currently accept Ameriplan.