Purchasing Health Insurance In Arizona
There are a few things to be aware of when finding health insurance in Arizona. Many states have joined in running their own Affordable Care Act exchange, however, Arizona is one of the states that still uses the Federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange. Meaning, that they use the Federal marketplace and follow the dates for open enrollment. Since Arizona uses the Federal ACA marketplace, the open enrollment period is from November 1, 2021 – January 15, 2021.
Medicaid/CHIP
Medicaid is a Federal program that provides states to help families with low income receive health care coverage. In order to qualify for Medicaid, they will have to look at your income and assets. You can sign up for Medicaid at any time because there’s no closing enrollment.
The state of Arizona also offers CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) These programs are usually offered to children with low income families and can be provided at a low cost or at no-cost at all.
The Obamacare “ACA” Exchange
The Obamacare Program The Obamacare Program or also known as the Affordable Care Act, was passed in 2010. This law made health insurance more available and affordable for individuals and families with low income.
Off Market Plans
Off Market plans are best suited for healthy people who do not qualify for a tax credit (also called a subsidy) through the Marketplace. Contact one of our licensed Advisors to help you compare all the major carriers in your area and figure out which plan is best for you.
Arizona Health Insurance Carriers
There are eleven major health insurance providers in Arizona – Ambetter from Health Net, Bright Health, Oscar Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Health Net, Humana, United Healthcare, Medica, Banner Health, and Aetna Health Plan Inc.
These health insurance carriers provide assistance with Premium Tax Credit which an individual or a family can qualify for based on their income. Compass Insurance Advisors are licensed representatives of each of these carriers. If you need assistance or have any questions about your plans, please contact us at 801-901-3519. We can help you update your address, request new cards, and answer any questions about claims and benefits. Our agents can help simplify any of your ongoing health insurance needs.
Ambetter from Health Net
Ambetter is one the biggest carriers in Arizona. The company’s main focus is their customers and that is why they offer a healthy rewards program.
Bright Health
Bright Health is partnered with Arizona Care Network. Both Bright Health and Arizona Care Network work together to make sure the cost of their clients are as low as possible.
Oscar Health Plan
Oscar Health Plan was founded in 2012 and even with only a few years working in the insurance market, they have now expanded to Arizona. The company focuses on helping their clients with the latest technology to meet their needs.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the largest carriers in Arizona and offers a variety of PPOs, HMOs and many other plan services. Their focus is to offer coverage based on their clients’ needs.
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona
There is no doubt that Cigna is one of the most used carriers in Arizona. They focus on taking care of their client as a whole, providing services such as, physical, emotional, financial, and environmental.
Health Net
Health Net of Arizona has been the number one provider for HMO plans. The company also offers different tools at no cost for better client care.
United Healthcare
United Healthcare is one of the largest carriers to offer different plans for different types of clients, from children to pregnant women and seniors.
Medica
Medica is a carrier that has been in business for decades and has now extended to provide services in Arizona. This company works closely with healthcare systems to provide customers with better healthcare coverage.
Banner Health
Banner Health is a company that was formed in Arizona and they provide the largest healthcare systems in the country as well as being the number one provider for hospital services.
Aetna Health Plan Inc
Aetna is one of the nation’s most known insurance carriers. They are also the number one providers for the most complete coverage products that includes everything from medical to group life coverages.
How to Enroll
1. Directly Through the Health Insurance Carrier
This is probably your least effective method as oftentimes you are having to do the groundwork in reaching out to each carrier yourself to obtain quotes, ask benefit questions, check Rx formularies, make sure your doctor is in network, etc. Agents who are not connected with Compass Insurance Advisors have to call each carrier and get quotes for each of their clients.
2. Federal Marketplace/Other Enrollment Platforms
When the ACA was passed, they created a central location that allows consumers to see every plan offered by each insurance company, which sounds nice but can easily be, and is often (even for licensed agents) information overload. The biggest problem is they aren’t clear or have even been incorrect with benefit details beyond deductibles, in-network Doctors, or rx formularies.
3. Utilizing an Agent/Producer/Advisor
This is your most effective method of shopping the market. Most Agents/Advisors (especially Compass Agents) sift through all the available plans every year to determine which ones are advantageous or if certain plans were designed to meet a particular niche than the rest. Agents make the process of enrolling in a health care plan simple and easy to understand. Agents will also be aware of each carrier’s network of doctors and hospitals or at the very least know how to research your desired doctor or hospital system among the many networks listed in each carrier’s search engines. Not all networks within an insurance company are created equal. For example, simply because a doctor or facility pulls up in a carrier’s search engine does not mean the plans offered in the marketplace are accepted by those doctors. Each carrier has a unique name for each network and it’s important to have this in mind as you may be disappointed and frustrated when finding out your plan doesn’t take your doctor in a time of need.
Working with a Compass Advisor is no extra cost to you. Insurance companies cannot raise your rate for working with an advisor, so you will pay the same price whether you try to figure things out on your own or working with an advisor. Furthermore, having an agent takes away the stress from figuring out all the right plans for you and your family. Our Compass Agents/Advisors do all the difficult process available to you at no cost and the assurance of finding the right health care for you and your family. Lastly, working with one of our Agents is being aware of alternative plans to the ACA. There are plenty of families who are healthy, do not qualify for the tax credit, and do not want to pay the high premiums on the marketplace. For those people in this situation, the non-Obamacare plans are the perfect solution! If you were to shop using one of the first two methods listed above, you would likely not be aware of these alternative options. However, as long as you use a Compass Agent you will always be aware of your best options. Find a local Compass Advisor by going to insurewithcompass.com or calling (801) 901-3519.
