by Brian Rackham/KTAR (August 18th, 2009 @ 12:46pm)

MESA, Ariz. -- A Valley businessman claims he has an alternative to costly health insurance. Chad Harris is chief executive officer of the Mesa-based No Insurance Club. Unlike conventional health insurance, members pay for a certain amount of health care, up front. "What spawned it was people wanted to have a fixed price for a certain basket of visits -- once a month, say -- and certain baskets of services -- like strep, EKG, cholesterol, physicals -- all bundled for one price per year," Harris said on News/Talk 92-3 KTAR's Ankarlo Mornings. He said the company's prices are so low that Medicare and Medicaid participants are not eligible -- something he doesn't understand. "If I can save the taxpayers money by this doctor willing to see you for less than Medicaid, why can I not allow it?" he asked. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Healthcare Placed Back in Doctors Care, Not Big Insurance Pockets

How to get preventative healthcare from a board certified doctor with no co-pays, deductibles or premiums

Mesa, AZ – June 16, 2009 – Dr. Sam Sannoufi and Chad Harris of Gilbert, Arizona have come up with a way of lowering the cost of seeing the family doctor with a members-only, prepaid healthcare program called The No Insurance Club. 

Annual membership in the club costs about the same as a single month’s premium with traditional medical insurance. Individual members pay $480 per year, couples $580 and families $680. There are no premiums, co-pays or deductibles. 

“The No insurance Club is exactly what patients need. It is a perfect bridge to cross the gap for millions of patients that have no insurance, who have recently lost their benefits, or have catastrophic coverage and no basic doctor visit services. Patients are raving about the No Insurance Club,” said Dr. J Napoleon Ortiz, MD of Higley Family Medicine in Gilbert. “The club is just that, a members-only program that provides affordable services for the basic everyday doctor visits.” 

The club comes at a critical time when insurance premiums and general health care costs continue to rise. Many employers are passing on more of the cost of insurance to their employees and hiring part time and seasonal workers to off-set the cost of benefits. “Health care has become a national crisis,” said Chad Harris, No Insurance Club director. “More than 40 million people go to bed at night without health insurance due to the outrageous costs of being insured. We feel the No Insurance Club offers a better solution than socializing the system which seems to be the path to have the healthy subsidize the sick and penalize the doctors even more.”

No Insurance Club members are treated as VIPs by board-certified MDs. Club membership includes preferential appointment setting, free office visits and services, medications filled at the clinic while you wait for $4 or less and yearly full panel blood tests. Individual and couple’s plans include 12 annual visits and families share 16 visits per year. 

The No Insurance Club is currently available in Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, WA and New York City. Additional clinics are being added monthly with a goal of 2,000 doctors participating in the network in the next 36 months. 

About the No Insurance Club

The No Insurance Club is a members-only prepaid health care program that offers an affordable alternative to traditional medical insurance. Individuals and families without medical coverage now have an affordable option for preventative health care. They can see a board certified physician throughout the year, receive free tests, discounted prescriptions, annual full panel blood work all for one low annual fee. No deductibles, co-pays or premiums ever. 

Editors Note: For more information please visit Noinsuranceclub.com.

# # #

PRESS CONTACT

Bob Grove

(801) 542-9217

bob@wildwestpr.com

If you lose your job -- up until now, there have been two alternatives when it comes to your health insurance.

To help protect your pocketbook, most uninsured -- either pay for COBRA or drop insurance altogether and hope for good health in hard times.

But help may be on the way in the form of 'no insurance clubs' that are popping up all over the country.

"These are conscious patients they know they can't buy insurance outside on their own but a program like this covers their maintenance side," Dr. John Stanley said, who is a particpating doctor in the 'No Insurance Club.'

For one person to join the 'no insurance club -- it is $480 a year.  You get 12 doctor visits -- that includes services like physicals, blood work and flu shots.

Minneapolis, MN

If you lose your job, up until now, there have been two alternatives when it comes to your health insurance. Pay for Cobra, or opt for NO insurance altogether, and hope for good health in hard times.

But help may be on the way in the form of "No Insurance Clubs" that are popping up all over the country.

"I had to see the doctor a lot because i had a lot of problems," says Ralph Demicco.

For Ralph, going without health insurance could have been costly because he suffers from type two diabetes. So, when he heard about the "No insurance Club" he immediately signed up.

"These are conscious patients they know they can't buy insurance outside on their own but a program like this covers their maintenance side," says Doctor John Stanley a participating club physician.For one person to join the "No Insurance Club" it is $480 a year. You get 12 doctor visits including physicals, blood work and flu shots.

For families, no matter the size, it will cost you $680 and it includes everything an individual gets except it gives you 16 doctors visits.

"We're trying to fill that gap where they can still come to us for that amount it's a pretty good deal," says doctor Stanley.

Here's the catch; you can only see the same doctor at the same office. But, there are no copays. In addition to preventative maintenance the "No Insurance Club" offers patients the opportunity to get generic drugs for just $4.

The program does have limitations. It does not cover hospital or E.R. visits or visits to a specialist.

by Angelique Soenarie

With rising health care costs and unemployment, prepaid visits to the doctor are one way for the uninsured to afford medical care.

A new Mesa company, the No Insurance Club, is leading the trend by enrolling doctors and nearly 700 uninsured individuals who are willing to pay an annual fee that allows them to see a doctor and obtain low-cost prescriptions when needed.

Two years ago, Sam Sannoufi, a Gilbert family medicine doctor, began experimenting with giving his patients an option to prepay a flat fee for office visits. About 400 patients thought it was such a good idea that it has become Sannoufi's new business model.

Since starting the No Insurance Club in January, he has signed up nearly 700 patients through referrals from participating doctors.

"Sam was charging patients in advance to come see him, and he made his own prepaid program. He had 400 patients who loved the program," said co-founder Chad Harris.

In 2007, the uninsured in the U.S. numbered 45 million, according to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C. That number is expected to grow as more and more people find themselves unemployed and battling the high cost of living.

"We provide to those who can't afford insurance," said Harris, whose company focuses on a network of family and internal medicine practices.

In its first month, the company outgrew its 1,600-square-foot office in Gilbert and moved to a 6,500-square-foot center at Power and Baseline roads in east Mesa.

It grew to a 30-member workforce from 10 people who cold-call doctors and try to get them interested in the program. Already, the company has enrolled eight doctors to become participants. One of them, a Gilbert practice, enrolled 500 of its patients who purchased health packages that allow for up to 12 office visits a year. The No Insurance Club offers health benefit packages focus on preventive care.

About 99 percent of individuals will do office visits, and one percent will go to the hospital, Harris said.

Individuals pay $480 a year for 12 visits, and families pay $680 for 16 visits. There are no premiums, co-pays or deductibles, Harris said. The package includes immunizations and blood work. In-office prescription cost less than $4, which is done through a contract with Pharmalink.