My husband and I fell victim to a health discount card. My husband and I do not have health insurance. On November 6th, my husband received a phone call from Laura Durrant, a representative of American Health, 1025 Greenwood Blvd #121, Lake Mary, FL 32746. She was selling a medical discount card for $29.95 per month that would save us up to 60% off of doctor's visits, prescription drugs, etc. He told her about the specific prescription he takes and that it costs over $200 to fill. She assured him that this discount card would give him an enormous savings. He said this sounds to good to be true, and she said, yes I know it does. He told her that he wanted to talk to me about it and that I will call her back if we are interested.
Ms. Durrant called me back that evening before I had a chance to call her. I told her I wasn't going to sign up until she told me exactly what his prescription of 200mg Celebrex 60 capsules would cost with the discount. After asking several times, she finally quoted that his prescription would cost only $88 dollars if purchased today, and that the price may fluctuate because of drug prices. I repeated, so what you are telling me, that when we go to Walmart to fill his prescription, it will only cost us about $88. She said yes.
So I signed up, and repeated that the only reason I am signing up is that this prescription will only cost us about $88 and if in fact that is not the case, I will expect a full refund. She said it may fluctuate but she again confirmed it will be around that price.
I gave her my debit card number, she charged a one time registration fee of $25 and for the first month for $29.95. She said I would receive my card in the mail in 7 to 10 days. She said if I have any problems or questions to call her between 4-9pm eastern time.
We received our cards over 30 days later. The effective date on the card was 11/07. On December 17th we went to Walmart to refill my husband's prescription of Celebrex. The pharmacy clerk entered our discount card into the computer and was unsuccessfull. She called the number on the back of the card and who ever answered the phone, informed her that my membership had been terminated. The clerk said the regular price for the prescription without the discount card was $210.
We left Walmart without a prescription. At 7pm, I called Ms. Durrant and asked her why my membership was terminated. She told me that they don't have an agreement with Walmart and I should go to CVS. I reminded her that she had told me to go there and even quoted me the price of the prescription after the discount. She then said they were having problems with Walmart and that her supervisor would take care of it and with call me with in 5 minutes.
At 8:30pm, 1 hours later, I called back and told a man named Fileman that Laura Durrant told me her supervisor was supposed to call me back 1 hours ago. He said that they weren't open and that I should call back the next day. I asked him why would she lie to me and tell me someone would call me right back. I also told him that Walmart said that my discount card was terminated, and he said that's because Walmart doesn't honor the cards. He told me to call Derrick the supervisor after 10am tomorrow.
The next morning I went to CVS to refill the prescription. They informed me that the card was terminated. They said the regular price was $231 for the prescription. I again left without a presription and called American Health and asked for Derrick. The woman asked why I'd want to talk to him because he was a technician and he had nothing to do with with cusomer contact. I told her I felt like I was getting the run around and the whole story which was getting more and more complicated. She apologized and gave me temporary membership numbers to give to the pharmacist so I could pick up the prescription.
The prescription with the discount was $210 at CVS. No where near the $88 that Ms. Durrant quoted me to coax me into signing up for this discount card. The same price we could get it for at Walmart, without paying $29.95 per month for a discount card.
I called customer service back and told them I wanted a full refund. I told them that Laura Durrant had committed fraud when she told me my prescription would only cost $88. She said prices could have changed. I told her that she can't expect me to believe that the price for this medication went up over $100 since I signed up for this card a month ago. I also told her that the only reason we signed up for this card was because of the discount I was quoted for this prescription. I would not pay 29.95 per month to get a $20 discount at CVS when I could pay the same price at Walmart without paying for a discount card. She said she can't give me a refund because we had been members for over 30 days. I reminded her I was promised the card in 7 10 days on November 6th, and she made excuses for the holiday mail and weekends.
She told me they will review the recorded tapes of Ms. Durrant when she sold us this card and if she did quote us $88, we would get a refund, but she won't get back to me for 3-4 days.
On 1-7-08, about 20 days later, I called and spoke with Megan who said she would speak to the rep who canceled our account and see what they found on the recorded tapes of the sales call that we had from Ms. Durrant. She came back on to tell me that the Technical department never reviewed the tapes and that she will get back to me by 4:30 today.
On 1-8-08 I called and asked for Megan. She said she spoke with her supervisor and they said they can't refund the money because our account had been active for over 30 days. I informed her I would be speaking to an attorney this afternoon.
I am only out $84.90. I know it's not alot to most people, but it's a weeks worth of groceries. I vow to do what I can to expose them and their practices so that others can avoid being taken in by this scam.
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