Mining for the Elusive Arizona Health Insurance Quote
Arizonans have a lot to brag about, including natural wonders, beautiful weather, and thriving metropolitan areas. Health insurance in Arizona, on the other hand, still has some room for improvement. Arizona’s uninsured rate of 21st ranks it 47th in the nation according to the AHIP’s Health Insurance Overview and Economic Impact in the States report, while the Commonwealth Fund’s 2009 State Scorecard on Health System Performance – a comprehensive state-by-state evaluation of health care systems – ranked Arizona 36th in the nation (a drop of 3 spots from the 2007 scorecard). What does all this mean for the average Arizonan seeking out health insurance in the Grand Canyon State? More than anything else it emphasizes how important it is to know your rights, needs, and wants before you start mining the Arizona health insurance market.
The Cost of an Arizona Health Insurance Quote
Before discussing Arizona health care options in more detail, however, most Arizonans want to know what to expect from an Arizona health insurance quote. While the answer to that question is ultimately dependent on a host of individual factors, both the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) track health care costs on a state by state basis and are able to provide ballpark estimates for those dying to know. Here is the break down for both individual and group health care plans in Arizona:
- Independent Market Insurance —According to a recent AHIP study, premiums for individual market insurance averaged $2,591 per year for a single individual, and $4,598 for a family based plan. That’s a shade less than the national average of $2,613 per year for single individuals and $5,799 for families.
- Group Health Care —If you’re looking into a group health care plan, the numbers tip even more in the consumer’s favor. According to the KFF, participants paid average annual premiums of $811 per year for single group health insurance and $4,136 per year for group health family insurance. That’s good news for single Arizonans, since that’s well below the national average of $882. And while families in the Copper State pay $742 more per year in premiums than the national average of $3,394 for group health care, that’s still a savings of almost $500 per year over families who have to go it alone with independent market health care coverage.
Understanding Your Arizona Health Insurance Rights
While health insurance in Arizona isn’t perfect, the take on health insurance in the Grand Canyon State isn’t all bad. In fact, Arizona does have a larger range of guaranteed coverages that are mandated by state law than many other states in the nation, such as guaranteed coverage for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, autism diagnoses and treatment, emergency services, and even requirements for covering holistic health care options such as chiropractic visits, acupuncture, and allopathic care. That said, Arizona’s health care mandates are anything but universal, making it that much more important that you check with the Arizona Department of Insurance to see which mandates apply to various health care plans before you assume that any coverages are going to be included as a matter of course.
The Art of Negotiating for an Arizona Health Insurance Quote
Last, but not least, we can’t stress enough the importance of being pro-active in searching out the best possible Arizona health insurance quote and coverage for you and yours. How you go about doing that is ultimately up to you, though when it comes to comparing different health care plans, coverages, premiums, and providers, an online quote service like NetQuote.com is the only guaranteed way to obtain free, reputable health insurance quotes at the click of a mouse. Whether you do the dirty work on your own, or opt for the convenience of an online insurance quote provider, comparing multiple quotes almost always translates to higher quality health care at more affordable prices in the Grand Canyon State.
