AZ Health Plans - Under 65
Though as your health insurance broker we carry many other Health Insurance companies, for very good reasons (which we would be glad to discuss with you) we recommend looking first at these three. Click the icon to apply online. See below for each companies Plan Brochures:
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We recommend Assurant Health for Short Term Plans (only up to 12 months) - Between Jobs, etc:
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Five Types of Health Insurance Plans - a Quick Review
1) HSA Health Plans: We strongly recommend you take a careful look at these plans. Check out Tom’s article comparing HSA plans to standard co-pay plans. Enjoy strong tax benefits and much lower premiums. Be well insured for any major medical event. Protect yourself and your family from catastrophic medical bills.
2) Co-Pay PPO Plans: A PPO (Preferred Provider Organization, not to be confused with an HMO) co-pay plan allows you to go in network and have a co-pay for a doctor visit or prescription, without having met your deductible first. If you wish to own a co-pay plan, Blue Cross Optimum would probably be a very good choice.
3) Limited Benefit Plans: Sold often on television. These policies can have devastating limits. Anytime a policy has language saying it will pay “up to a certain amount for a given event, or for a hospital room, etc, etc, you can know you’re looking at a policy with the potential to bankrupt you.
4) Hospital Surgical Plans VS Major Medical Plans — often termed “basic” plans, Hospital Surgical Plans cover you only on hospital grounds; whereas Major Medical plans cover you for a very broad spectrum of medical expenses. Most medical care these days is NOT provided in the hospital, but at clinics. A visit to the Arizona Heart Institute, for example, could easily cost several thousand dollars. And what about the prescription bill after a hospital stay? It can be very expensive. After being hospitalized and meeting that deductible, do you still want to pay out-of-pocket for all of these other things? This is why we must understand the plan we’re buying, and avoid being “sold” on just premium alone.
5) HMO Plans. These are available in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. HMOs require you to see a gatekeeper (a primary care doctor) first before you can get a “referral” to a specialist. With the PPO plans (available under all the options above) you have no gatekeeper and can select your doctors. A major benefit of HMO plans is they usually cover maternity. The other plans above generally cover only complications during pregnancy.
Blue Cross Brochures and Health Plan Choices
1. Blue Cross of Arizona HSA Qualified Plan — Review Blue Portfolio
2. Blue Cross Optimum — a co-pay plan. Review Optimum.