When it comes to finding affordable health insurance in the sate of Arizona the bust rates are usually found through a plan with your employer. However, if for some reason you are either unemployed or self-employed, you are not without options. There are several insurance companies that offer health insurance for an individual.
Before you start shopping for your individual health plan, check with the Arizona State Insurance Department to make sure the insurance company is licensed to do business in the state. After confirming that you are dealing with licensed companies, you should ask yourself a few questions to ensure you choose a plan that will work best for you:
1.Can I continue to use my current physician: If you’ve established a long-term relationship with your doctor and absolutely do not what to change, then you will have to check to see which plans your doctor accepts and begin your search from that list.
2.Specialists: If you primarily use alternative care like an acupuncturist or a chiropractor, you must investigate to find out how your insurance company will respond. Some companies offer limited visits to such specialists. Make sure find a plan that will compliment your lifestyle.
3.Out of pocket expense: Find out how much you are willing to pay out of pocket. Let’s face it, the more risk you are able to take, the less you should pay for insurance. However, if you cannot afford much out of pocket expense, look for plans with lower co-pays/deductibles. Usually there is an inverse relationship between co-pay/deductibles and premium. The lower the co-pay the higher the premium.
4.Children: Do you have any or planning to have any? If you don’t have children and are not planning to have any, then pediatricians are not an issue. However, if you currently have children and they have built a relationship with a pediatrician, there is yet another list of carriers for you to research.
5.Shop around: Don’t take the first quote you receive