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While roaming the wilds of the Internet the other day, I came across something that made me stop and think a bit.

At the site Givewell.com you can now give pre-paid Visa card specifically to handle those pesky Medical Expenses. Yep, a gift card for Medical Expenses.

From the site;

The Gift Card is a more personal and secure gift than cash. You choose the amount you want to place on the card, anything from as little as $25 up to as much as $5,000, and the recipient chooses the health related expenses he or she wants to use it for — however there’s no rule that says you can’t make suggestions!

The card costs $4.95 plus shipping and handling and can be sent to you or straight to the recipient.

At first I thought, "What a neat idea!". Being able to help your loved-ones out with their medical bills in a way that isn’t QUITE as invasive as hiring a private detective to go through their mailboxes for doctor’s bills.

Their Heart’s in the Right Place

I like the concept, and as far as gift cards go, this is better than others. Still, I’m wondering if this business model is going to fly very long.

On the Pro Side - Gift cards are an easy way to give someone some money with a ‘little’ control over what they do with it. If you don’t want Grannie buying food, but instead using your Christmas gift money for healthcare, this is the ideal solution. Just giving someone money for a gift also has that "I didn’t go shopping for you, so here’s some money instead" stigma, that gift cards seem to barely avoid.

This is also a way to give someone a LARGE amount of money (Don’t know off the top of my head where the gift tax limits kick in) you can give up to $5000 at one go if you like. If you wanted to be devious, it might be a good way to get that boob job for the mistress without leaving a paper trail for the wife to discover. (Ahem, IF you were to do that sort of thing, which I’m sure none of MY readers would do.)

On the Con Side - Health insurance is a complicated subject as-is, without mixing in different sources of payment that can ALSO have issues. Again, we have the sensitivity to such a gift by family members. Most people have a ‘thing’ about other’s paying their bills. This could be taken in the wrong way, that they think you believe they aren’t/can’t pay their own way, which can cause some scuffle. Beware!

The Reviews are In

Overall, I’d give this idea a C+, depending on long-term sustainability. I think there’s still a lot of ’selling’ that is going to have to be done culturally to get away from the idea it’s BAD to help friends/family pay their bills. The whole pride issue seems almost insurmountable.

Other than that, it’s a convenient way to contribute towards keeping your loved ones around and healthy as long as possible.

What do you think about the Health/Medical Expenses gift card? Leave us a message and let us know!

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