What is a DMPO?
When faced with the looming presence of an appointment with your doctor or upcoming surgery, you wouldn’t be blamed if you were wrought with anxiety.
The cost of medical care has skyrocketed in the last few decades, often leaving patients shocked by the price tags associated with anything from an invasive hip replacement to a simple checkup.
In fact, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the average person in the United States spent almost $13,000 on medical care in 2020.
Fortunately, the rise of Discount Medical Program Organizations, or DMPOs, may be able to help.
What Is a DMPO?
A Discount Medical Program Organization, more popularly shortened to DMPO, is an organization that exists to help patients in many walks receive discounts on medical care not covered by insurance.
While DMPOs are not themselves insurance carriers or providers, they can be used both supplementally and as a stand-in for those struggling to pay for their medical bills.
Either way, DMPOs exist to help you, the patient, afford your bills.
How Do They Work?
DMPOs function through memberships. Once you’ve found a DMPO that can assist you in helping connect you with a discounted medical provider, or find legal means of reducing costs across a number of fields, including those such as chiropractic work, lab tests, and prescriptions, among others.
Typically, DMPOs will have partner healthcare providers with whom they specifically work.
They’ll often connect you with a provider they’ve partnered with, and negotiate on your behalf to reduce the cost of non-covered medical practices.
All Discount Medical Program Organizations are federally regulated, though their implementation and specific guidelines can differ from state to state, so ensure that when shopping around for options, you’re considering your residence.
Regardless, your choice of DMPO will be safe and backed, as every organization must hold appropriate licenses to operate in the United States.
Wrap Up
Discount Medical Program Organizations are gaining steam around the United States, and for good reason.
These programs can help connect you with a doctor, chiropractor, or most other medical practitioners and negotiate lower rates on your behalf for the types of care you may need, but be unable to afford.
In most cases, DMPOs will not be a consumer’s only source of medical coverage, though they can be.
Even if you are currently on Medicare – or any other type of insurance – you will still likely reap some benefits from exploring your options in regard to Discount Medical Program Organizations.
Despite all of the benefits offered by DMPOs, it is worth noting that some procedures covered by certain insurances such as Medicare may not also be eligible for concurrent coverage via a DMPO.
Category: Health