Black
firm hopes to close health care gap
through
discount program
From the Globe Health Desk
Soaring
medical costs and a lack of health care insurance
options spurred the formation of an African-American-owned
enterprise in the Bay Area.
First Class Benefits Inc. (FCB)
was founded in 2003, and most of the company’s representatives and officers
are black.
“We offer health services to individuals and businesses in the
black community who don’t qualify for or who can’t afford insurance,” said
Deborah “Dee Dee” Stephens, a company representative.
“We are
a Provider Access Organization. PAOs are associations or organizations of thousands
of people which formulate direct contracts with the same medical provider networks
used by insurance companies,” she said. “Many people may believe
that only insurance companies can have contracts with large physician and hospital
networks, but this is not the case. Large associations and organizations, such
as ours, also contract directly with medical providers and have access to reduced
wholesale rates for healthcare services just like any insurance company.”
FCB
does not provide insurance, but it can help people save money by giving them
direct access to medical providers, according to Edwin Edebiri, FCB president
and CEO. “
"There are three major differences between a PAO like
FCB and an insurance company,” he said. “First, is that anyone, regardless
of their health conditions, age or wealth, can enroll. Pre-existing conditions
will not prevent a member from getting coverage because all pre-existing conditions
are accepted.
“The second difference is that FCB gives consumers direct
discounts from the medical provider. This means that the member pays a reduced
price in full at the time of service.
“The third and most important difference
is in the price,” he said. “Traditional insurance programs can cost
hundreds of dollars, especially for families. FCB, on the other hand, can cover
an individual and their entire household for as low as $29.95 per month. The
FCB benefits plans are essentially medical discount programs.”
Recent studies
show that there are over 44 million Americans with no health insurance. In addition,
there are over 70 million people that are underinsured.
“Becoming a member
of FCB will not prevent the member from having health insurance,” said
Stephens. “Many of our customers already have an insurance plan and simply
use FCB for things that their insurance does not cover.”
FCB offers three
benefits plans to members: the Premier Plan, the Wellness Plan and the Advantage
Plan. Plans range from about $100 to $30 a month and include discounts on dental
care, vision care, physician visits, hospitalization, prescription drugs and
more, depending on the plan.
Edebiri can be reached at (415) 377-6590 or edwin@firstclassbenefits.com.
Stephens can be reached at (510) 918-4524 or dd@firstclassisp.com.
For
more information about First Class Benefits visit firstclassbenefits. net or
write to 617 Airpark Road, Napa, CA94558.
