Arizona Student Health Insurance

Shortly millions of American students will be heading back to school. Some will be boarding buses to continue their primary education while others will be driving off to attend universities & community colleges. Regardless of their destination, as parents, we worry about their health and well being. During these inflationary times, providing health insurance for our young students can be a burden for some families. Often families provide health insurance for their children through their group health plans from work. Parents will find substantial health insurance premium savings by putting their children and young adults on their own individual or Arizona student health policies.

Many employer sponsored group family health insurance plans are astronomical in price. In many instances a family can realize a large cost saving by switching their children to their own individual health insurance plans. The type of plan a parent would want for their young student depends a lot on the family’s current financial reality. In today’s health insurance market there are all kinds of policies for just about every budget. All these health plans offer a degree of protection that every parent would want for their child. Due to the internet, shopping for health insurance has become as easy as going to a instant quote search engine like AzHealthNow.com. All parents want to protect their children. I can think of no better peace of mind than knowing that my child has a good health insurance policy I can afford.

Parents with PPO and HMO type health insurance plans, face a particular set of problems when they have out of state bound college students. Often there is a reduction of benefits when a person leaves the network coverage area. In some cases the limitation may be so sever that only emergency care is provided. In this situation obtaining a individual health insurance is the best choice for any parent. Some health insurance companies offer a national network. So regardless of a person’s home of record they can obtain services out of state as long as the insurance company has coverage in that area. In this instance the benefits provided would not be reduced because of the open directory. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has such an agreement with its sister BCBS affiliates throughout the continental United States. Another option is to purchase a student health insurance policy from a carrier like Assurant Health. Unlike the cheesy student health policies colleges put in their welcome packages, Assurant’s plan is a very flexible major medical policy. (For more specific information about Assurant's student health plan click here)

For those lucky few who are going abroad to study there is only one good choice and that is to get an international health insurance policy. Again, thanks to the internet, obtaining a good international health insurance policy is as easy as clicking right here.

Making sure your young student has health insurance is the kind of peace of mind a parent needs when sending their child out into the world.

Voluntary Benefits Make Arizona Group Health Insurance Affordable

Arizona small businesses are on the front line of our national healthcare crises. Soaring premiums have left some employers unable to provide health insurance coverage for their valued employees. One easy answer is to implement a voluntary health plan for their employees.

Voluntary insurance plans are tax privileged for both the employee and the employer, so employees do not pay taxes on the money spent on these plans and the employers’ payroll tax is reduced as well. Employers are allowed to contribute any amount they would like for each class of employee they establish, but they are not required to contribute anything if they wish not to. Some insurance companies allow employers to start a group with as few as two employees. Establishing a voluntary insurance plan is the perfect addition for every Arizona business looking for affordable group health insurance.

Voluntary health insurance is a group of supplemental insurance indemnity policies that are designed to protect your employees from a variety of illnesses and calamities. National statistics show that, because these plans pay cash directly to the policy holder, employees love them. That is why there is not a single Fortune 500 company that does not offer a voluntary health plan as a part of their benefit package

Here is a list of some very common voluntary policies:

• Accident
• Cancer/Specified-Disease
• Dental
• Hospital Confinement Indemnity
• Hospital Confinement Sickness Indemnity
• Hospital Intensive Care
• Life
• Long-Term Care
• Short-Term Disability
• Specified Health Event
• Vision

For some employers these plans are all they can reasonably afford to offer their employees. But for many small Arizona businesses voluntary plans are but the icing on the cake of a comprehensive employee benefit package designed to be of genuine value to each employee and cost effective for the employer.

To learn more about voluntary health plans and/or to find Affordable Arizona Group Health Insurance call me at (602) 502-3113

Find Affordable Arizona Health Insurance

Actually finding affordable Arizona health insurance has just gotten so easy that anyone can accomplish the task from the ease and comfort of their own home or work place. Just go to AzHealthNow.com, and you will find a very simple instant quote search engine. In a matter of minutes you can have 375 quotes from six of the top rated Arizona health insurance companies. You will be able to compare multiple carriers and their premiums, benefit outlines, check on their doctors and apply for coverage all in one place. Once you have narrowed down the field to plans you really like you might have some questions and concerns. They have helpful licensed insurance agents on staff to assist you and make the process of selecting your own affordable Arizona health insurance policy very easy.

At AzHealthNow.com all you have to do to get an instant insurance quote is fill out the form so the search engine has the correct information about you and your family. Then hit the “show me plans and premiums” button and in thirty seconds you will have about 375 plans from six top rated Arizona health insurance companies. Each offering shown explains the company name, plan name, what the premium is and offers two additional links so you can see a list of doctors and obtain a printable plan summary brochure. Gathering all this raw information may be overwhelming for some health insurance shoppers, that is why AzHealthNow.com has a customer service number posted at the top of each page. Call the customer service number and you can speak with a licensed insurance agent and get all your health insurance questions answered.

AzHealthNow.com also allows you to customize your search; you do this by selecting the premium, plan type, deductible, coinsurance, co-pay you wish to see. By manipulating these different components AzHealthNow.com allows you to see how the different insurance carriers’ actually compare to each other in premium and plan design. No matter what kind of health insurance you have, AzHealthNow has leveled the insurance shopping field so everyone can compare their plans.

The only question left becomes what do you want in an affordable Arizona health insurance policy?

COBRA Insurance Option, Get an Affordable Arizona STM Health Insurance Policy

COBRA insurance contains provisions giving former employees, retirees, spouses and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health insurance coverage. For the recently unemployed it is a shocking moment when they receive their COBRA paperwork and see the full premium they are required to pay to continue their former employers’ health plan. The reason for the increase in payment is that the employer is no longer required to contribute to the plan. For those that are uninsurable, COBRA gives them an eighteen month bridge to a new group health plan. But for those who are healthy, a much less costly option exists in a short term medical plan or (STM).

Short Term Medical insurance provides comprehensive temporary medical insurance coverage that guard against catastrophic costs of unexpected medical bills. Temporary health insurance covers a wide variety of needs, from 30 to 365 days. STM plans are just as comprehensive in coverage as most major medical plans. Temporary health insurance policies cover physician services, prescriptions, X-ray, laboratory services, inpatient hospital stays, inpatient and outpatient surgeries, skilled nursing facility care and rehabilitation up to a lifetime maximum of $2 million. The reason they are so affordable is their short duration and the fact they do not cover preexisting conditions. These plans are valuable for healthy individuals and families that are in between jobs and want a lower cost option to COBRA.

Another valuable benefit of obtaining a short term medical policy is that it provides continuation of coverage. Under federal and state laws, insurance companies can exclude covering preexisting conditions for a newly enrolling employee if they had no viable insurance within the past 63 days. A short term medical plan meets this test and is considered viable insurance coverage by all interested parties.

When you need affordable Arizona health insurance and are between permanent employer-sponsored health plans, short term medical insurance bridges the gap between your old employer plan and a new group plan. This provides coverage that can give you and our family the peace of mind you deserve.

Get a free no obligation health insurance quote now!
You can even apply online and be covered as early as tomorrow.

Looking for Affordable Arizona Health Insurance? Consider a Right Start PPO!

The current economy is looking bleak for many Arizona families. As their job outlook wanes and prices in the food and fuel sectors spiral out of control many people are looking to slash their budgets. Some are even considering going without health insurance. Before making that drastic decision everyone should consider switching to a Right Start PPO policy with Assurant Health.

Unlike a limited benefit policy or a mini-med; Right Start PPO, has the look and feel of any health insurance policy with some major cost savings features. To enjoy substantially lower premium the Right Start PPO policy limits:

The annual maximum to one of either
• $50,000
• $100,000
• $250,000

The annual out patient services provision to one of either
• $2500
• $5000

Additionally if a person selects the co-pay option it will only provide for two office visits per year for a $25.00 co-pay.

Though these policy provisions seem like drastic limitations lets examine some realties. Health insurance is not an all or nothing proposition. This plan is not for everyone, but it is for people who have no insurance or considering going without insurance. Once the deductible is paid it will pay for regular doctor office visits and for any medically necessary hospitalization. For most people the premium savings is about 50 percent with a Right Start PPO. That kind of cost saving allows a family to provide catastrophic coverage and ensure they are protected when a medical crisis arises.

Weighed against the specter of having no health insurance, the Right Start PPO is an excellent choice for Arizonans looking for affordable health insurance in these trying times.

I offer health insurance plans from six of the top rated heath insurance carriers in Arizona. For more information about the Right Start PPO or any other health insurance policy please call me at (602) 502-3113

To see a detailed brochure click here.

To see what your cost savings might be click here for a free instant quote

Establishing an HRA Can Make Your Arizona Group Health Insurance Affordable

Continual increases in health insurance premiums have adversely affected Arizona businesses. No employer has been left unaffected. Some small businesses have even had to drop their group health plans due to skyrocketing costs. Neither John McCain nor Barrack Obama has health insurance plans that address the cost of premiums for the employer or their employees. With no help on the horizon from our government, employers have at least one possible solution to retain affordable Arizona health insurance by establishing a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) plan for their employees.

HRA’s are an employer funded plan designed to reimburse employees for certain medical expenses (For a list of eligible expenses). Though an HRA is not health insurance, it is a supplemental health insurance plan that will pay for a wide range of health expenses, including an employee’s privately owned health policy premium. HRA’s are notional arrangements, meaning no funds are expensed until reimbursements are made. Those reimbursements are tax deductible to the employer and tax free to the employee. HRA’s are made available due to IRS code section 213d and IRS publication 502. For more detailed IRS information click here.

Unlike group health insurance plans, the employer decides what their monthly contribution level is going to be for each classification of employee they establish.
The monthly cost is fixed and only alterable by the employer. Also, employer dollars spent on the HRA are only paid when claims are filed. If an employee leaves a company they do not have the right to the funds an employer has allocated for their HRA plan. That unspent money stays with the employer and contributes to their bottom line.

Instead of paying additional monthly premiums to an insurance company for an expensive low deductible group health insurance plan, employers who establish an HRA can provide additional benefits and reduce their costs by increasing their deductibles and covering their employees likely out of pocket expenses with an HRA. For those employers who cannot afford group health insurance premiums, they can now provide a valuable tax favored health benefit for their employees by establishing an HRA

Benefits of an HRA

• Cost Savings


• Expand Benefits


• Flexibility


• Predictable Costs


• Separate Employee Classifications


• Tax Advantage

By establishing an HRA Arizona employers can have an effective means to manage the monthly costs associated with any Arizona group health insurance plan and make their premiums affordable.

The Best Arizona Medicare Supplement Part Two

For many Arizona seniors, the best Arizona Medicare Supplement may not be a Medicare Supplement at all. Many Arizonans are opting for Medicare Advantage plans to help reduce their total health care costs. Even the very best Medicare Supplements come with the added expense of a monthly premium. This cost savings allow Arizona seniors to reallocate those unspent health care dollars on other pressing insurance needs like long term care insurance.

Long term care insurance is the single most pressing insurance need for many Arizona seniors. Sixty nine percent of the people turning 65 will need some kind of long term care in their life time. The average annual long term care premium for individuals under 65 is about $1,337 annually. The very best Arizona Medicare supplements cost about $150 a month or $1800 annually. The concept of cost shifting of premiums from traditional Medicare Supplement policies to long term care insurance policies is a strategy every Arizona senior should start considering.

More and more Arizonans are going the Medicare Advantage route. Some are doing it because that is all they can afford but many are going that way because of the positive word of mouth these plans are receiving from their fellow Arizona seniors. In Maricopa County a Medicare Advantage HMO has a zero monthly premium. That is a huge savings over an Arizona Medicare supplement. Unfortunately, many who should be considering using these health care dollars for Arizona long term insurance are simply saving money on their health premium costs and not considering the hole they have failed to fill in their retirement health care plan.

Everyone should have a family discussion about how they plan to finance and who is going to do what in a probable chronic care situation or long term care illness. Meeting with a licensed independent insurance agent to see what a long term care policy might cost is a good starting place. My clients have all been surprised at how affordable long term care insurance really is.

If you would like to explore your Medicare healthcare options or look into a long term care insurance policy feel free to call me at (602) 502-3113 or follow this link and fill out a confidential quote request form.