Personal professional enrollment support is available for all of the benefit plans listed on this page. Send your question by e-mail for fast OnlineAdviser response.   Most Liberal Eligibility Health plans for diabetics - a listing of the health plan options and other resources Core Health Insurance - the nation's most popular defined benefit health plans with guaranteed acceptance from US Fire Insurance Company Value Access Guarantee - everyone qualifies for this plan that pays in addition to any other insurance Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan - a temporary government-sponsored plan available to citizens/residents who have  been uninsured for more than 6 months due to a pre-existing medical condition. Value 24 Hour Accident - up to $10,000 of supplemental health insurance coverage for emergency treatment of injuries at a cost of about $2 per day. Can be used as a stand-alone coverage or added to other insurance. Most Affordable Basic Health Insurance - the least expensive plan in the exchange but also with the lowest level of benefits Secure Lite STM - the lowest priced major medical insurance for 1 to 12 months Secure Saver STM - $2 million maximum coverage for 1-12 months at an ultra-low rate Value Med Insurance - 3 question simple medical eligibility and immediate approval for supplemental doctor and hospital benefits Long Term Major Medical Celticare - well-known renewable individual major medical insurance for discriminating healthy applicants Celtic Basic Health Insurance - a trim version of Celticare at a lower price UnitedHealthcare - Golden Rule Insurance, a member of America's largest health plan Dental Insurance Secure DentalOne - one lifetime deductible of $100 and then up to $1,250 per year coverage UnitedHealthOne Dental & Vision - national PPO network of more than 73,000 providers Online Life Insurance Great Start Child Life Insurance - inexpensive permanent insurance that can be gifted by parents and grandparents Guarantee Trust term life Insurance - fast, easy and inexpensive online term insurance coverage up to $250,000 International Term Life - up to $2 million coverage issued by Lloyds online specifically for those who spend time outside of the US Simple whole life insurance - up to $50,000 permanent coverage with no exam or blood test. Smart term life insurance - up to $500,000 coverage directly online without an exam or blood test QuoteIntelligence Term life insurance - find the lowest rates, compare features & eligibility requirements and then apply online with the best insurance companies in less than 30 seconds.

Arizona individual health insurance exchange Arizona currently has 27 commercial health insurance companies that issue individual health insurance and 32 companies that issue small group insurance plus a state-sponsored pre-existing condition insurance plan. These standard policies may be more expensive than some residents can afford. This Web page lists the most popular low cost commercial health insurance plans and related benefits. All of these policies offer secure online enrollment and professional OnlineAdviser personal enrollment support. Please note that while many of these choices could be included in more than one of the suggested usage categories, each plan is listed only once for the sake of brevity. Your enrollment adviser is available to discuss suitability of any plan for your specific situation. Arizona insurance & benefit news Arizona health insurance costs in 2008 were almost the same as the national average, with the state ranking #25 out of 50 in premium rates. (The average annual premium for a U.S. family covered under an employer-sponsored health plan in 2008 was $12,298 according to The Commonwealth Fund report. The overall quality of health care ranked 36th out of the 51 states (including DC). Arizona regulates the benefits required for both individual major medical and group health insurance plans, known as "mandated benefits". A brochure summarizing this mandated coverage  is available at the state insurance department Web site. Short Term Insurance Celtic Insurance - competitive rates from a well-known insurer Markel Smart STM - popular and affordable short term major medical insurance with fast online approval Secure STM - along with its 12 month and 36 month options, this may be the highest quality short term coverage Intermediate Term Inbound Immigrant - up to five years of liberal health insurance coverage after immigration including maternity coverage, emergency and other essential benefits Supplemental Insurance Smart Accident Insurance - supplemental coverage for emergency treatment of accidents and injuries for as little as $20 per month. Can be used as a stand-alone accident plan or to increase other insurance benefits. Value Access Guarantee - everyone qualifies for this plan that pays in addition to any other insurance Arizona insurance law and regulation The Arizona Department of Insurance Web site contains a listing of the state's health insurance laws and insurance companies. The state-sponsored Healthcare Group of Arizona is available to high risk small businesses and self-employed individuals who do not qualify for commercial coverage. This plan is more expensive than individual or group commercial insurance and a 12 or 18 month waiting period applies to pre-existing medical conditions. The state insurance department can be reached by telephone at (800) 325-2548 or by mail at 2910 N. 44th St., Suite 210, Phoenix AZ 85018. The state children's health insurance plan (CHIP) Web site is Arizona KidsCare sponsored by the Medicaid Agency. Small business plans Freedom Benefits offers assistance with customized group health plan design and administration, cost management, insurance and self-funded options for as little as $150 per employee.  More information... Non-insurance Discount Plans Careington PPO Discount Plans - the nation's leading network PPO discount provider allows a no-risk trial of any discount plan for only a $20 processing fee Drug Card America - a free prescription drug card that an be used nationwide Essential Dental Solutions - simple, inexpensive, no waiting period, up to $500 treatment per year Rx Pay Card - $10, $20, or $30 payments for hundreds of popular prescriptions. See International Coverage and Travel Insurance Listings

Arizona Insurance News

2/1/2012 The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, a division of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that as of June 30, 2011 Aetna Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, and Health Net Life Insurance Company are the state's largest health insurance providers and as such, earn the right to set the benchmark for the development of the state's essential benefit plans to debut in 2014 under health reform law.

10/17/2011 State law S1619 enacted April 2011 that offered a guaranteed issuance insurance to all small employers allows insurers to base rates on age, sex, health status-related condition, group size, geographic area and community rating. As a result, rates are typically higher than individual insurance policies not governed by these liberal provisions so that group health insurance is not affordable to many small businesses.

7/27/2011 Bridgeway Health Solutions announced it was awarded a contract to deliver Long-term Care services in three geographic service areas in Arizona effective October 1, 2011. This contract award represents an estimated 50% increase in Bridgeway's Long-term Care at-risk membership. Bridgeway is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation that also owns Celtic Insurance Company whose individual insurance products are also supported by OnlineAdviser services at Celticenrollment.com.

7/10/2011  The U.S. Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight announced that Arizona lacks proper resources or authority in the individual or small-group health insurance market to effectively review large rate increases as required by federal law. The federal government will temporarily take over the task of reviewing both individual and small business health insurance rate increases that are greater than 10%.

5/4/2011 Arizona state legislature voted to became the first state to authorize its residents to enroll in lower priced health insurance offered by other states. Hope for savings was dashed this week when Governor Brewer vetoed the bill. She reportedly believes that it is important for the state to have legal authority over the health plans of its residents. We anticipate that the proposal will eventually be reconsidered and become law after other states adopt the same measures. For now, Arizona residents must choose from the plans listed on the Arizona exchange that are registered with the state.

2/12/2011 With dozens of health plans choices available online offering a wide range of pricing and benefits, how do you find the best combination of price and benefits? Celtic Insurance realizes that the choices can be overwhelming; the company offers more than 40 possible health plan designs in many parts of the United States. A new feature called "Help Me Choose" lets users easily and quickly select the benefits they value most and narrows the list down to a few of the best choices. No personal information is required other than zip code and date of birth.

2/7/2011 The state's pre-exisitng condition insurance plan monthly premium rates (per person):

PCIP will cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs. All covered benefits are available for you, beginning on your coverage effective date, even if it’s to treat a pre-existing condition - there are no waiting periods. PCIP applicants who are approved to participate in PCIP can choose from three plan options, with different levels of premiums, calendar year deductibles, prescription deductibles and prescription copays. The HSA Option provides an opportunity to open a Health Savings Account, a tax-exempt account where you can deposit funds for eligible medical expenses. Each of the three PCIP plan options provides preventive care (paid at 100%, with no deductible) when you see an in-network doctor and the doctor indicates preventive diagnosis. Included are annual physicals, flu shots, routine mammograms and cancer screenings. For other care, you will pay a deductible before PCIP pays for your health care and prescriptions. After you pay the deductible, you will pay 20% of medical costs in-network. The maximum you will pay out-of-pocket for covered services in a calendar year is $5,950 in-network/$7,000 out-of-network. There is no lifetime maximum or cap on the amount the plan pays for your care. If you apply for PCIP coverage, you will be billed for the premium once your application is approved. You will need to send in your payment in order for your coverage to be effective. Please do not send in the premium before you are billed. Note that your premium may increase if you age into a higher rate tier, or if PCIP adjusts its premiums to any changes in the commercial market.

2/3/2011 Arizona is named as one of the states most likely to cut back on Medicaid spending and coverage. The Universal Health Insurance blog discusses the impact on the state's commercial insurance consumers.

12/28/2010 The state's pre-existing condition insurance plan attracted only 33 Arizona residents this year despite the government-subsidized premium. This plan provides a health coverage option for consumers who have been uninsured for at least six months, have a pre-existing condition or have been denied health coverage because of their health condition, and are a U.S. citizen or are residing here legally. The federal government pays most of the premium cost. The plan was initially criticized for excessive taxpayer costs but the overall lack of public interest in this insurance was not anticipated. 

12/16/2010 Arizona Department of Insurance officials met representatives of 44 other states and numerous employees of the federal Health and Human Services Department in Washington DC this week for a two-day working meeting to discuss the next steps in establish a government-run health insurance exchange under the American Health Benefit Exchange Model Act. Their attendance at this meeting was paid for by a $1 million federal grant awarded by HHS in September to the state for research how to set up an insurance exchange. Two states (Alaska and Minnesota) declined to participate, saying that it was a waste of taxpayer money. Four other states (not identified in press reports) that received federal grants did not send representatives to the meeting. Attendees included representatives of 16 states that are suing the federal government in an attempt to overturn the federal health reform law; specifically the requirement that forces individuals to buy health insurance on the insurance exchange or pay a hefty tax fine.

In its initial federal grant request for the insurance exchange project, Arizona said that it would: 1) Develop a comprehensive plan for Exchange implementation that ensures a strong competitive marketplace, improves quality and continuity of care so that consumers can seamlessly move from one product to another and ensures that any implementing entity has sufficient flexibility to meet challenging timeframes while maintaining accountability, 2) Contract with the Medicaid Division, the Department of Insurance, and the Arizona State University Department of Biomedical Informatics to help plan for an Exchange, and 3) Convene stakeholders to gather input and leverage existing resources. 

The meeting reportedly did not address the role of the commercial health insurance exchanges on the implementation of new competing government systems. The model act does not address inter-state insurance exchange proposals nor insurance sales across state lines. Federal officials admitted that they may not be able to provide further guidance until 2012. Meanwhile, most states are motivated to continue to meet requirements to obtain additional funding promised by the federal government for the establishment of insurance exchange by 2014. Freedom Benefits has previously voiced the opinion that the huge amount of money being spent to set up alternate insurance sales system technologies could be better used providing health benefits to the public. We proposed on the Universal Health Insurance blog that adequate commercial insurance sales systems are already in place that could be modified in a public/private partnership to make health insurance more affordable.

5/10/2010 Diabetes Coverage: A new resource to help with health insurance for diabetics in Arizona is available.

3/23/2010 A proposed constitutional amendment that prevents citizens from being forced to purchase health care insurance is scheduled to appear on the November ballot. If this ballot initiative is passed and the Arizona residents removed from the state's SCHIP program do not voluntarily purchase health insurance in the commercial market, then Arizona could easily have the highest percentage of uninsured residents in the U.S.

1/28/2010 More than 5 percent of Arizona's residents will lose their state provided health insurance this year if the Governor's budget proposal is adapted. If these cutbacks are enacted, Freedom Benefits will focus on making a minimal coverage available to the 47,000 kids and 310,000 adults who could be dropped from the state's insurance plan. These individuals are unlikely to be able to afford the price of major medical insurance but may want to buy a basic health insurance or accident coverage at a lower price as a temporary measure.

 Opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Freedom Benefits Association or any other person, company or entity mentioned. Information is from sources believed to be true, but cannot be guaranteed.