Arizona Health Insurance
Arizona HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS
KidsCare - Arizona children who live in low-income families but do not qualify for Medicaid may qualify for KidsCare. This State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) offers coverage for Arizona children under the age of 19.
Well Women HealthCheck Program - This program offers full Medicaid health coverage for some low-income women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer.
Common Health Conditions in Arizona
- Kidney Disease
- Septicemia
- Cardiac Bypass
Arizona Health Insurance Regulations
Arizona has moderate insurance regulations that protect both you and the insurance company. It's important to familiarize yourself with them, so you can exercise your rights if the need ever arises. Health insurance policies are regulated by each state's own health insurance laws. Arizona health insurance companies and policyholders alike must, of course, abide by established insurance laws. Some of the most important Arizona health insurance laws to be concerned with are the ones regulating the health insurance policy specifically. One important Arizona health insurance policy regulation you should be aware of is called the guaranteed renewability provision. This provision prohibits Arizona health insurance companies from terminating your health insurance policy on the grounds of illness. Also, Arizona health insurance companies can permanently exclude coverage for health conditions you had prior to the beginning of your health insurance policy. If your Arizona health insurance policy implements a permanent exclusion period, the cost of any treatment you receive for the pre-existing condition is not paid for by your health insurance company. Arizona health insurance companies can also impose pre-existing condition waiting periods, during which your health condition is not covered for only a certain amount of time. Arizona health insurance companies are not limited in how much time they can impose for exclusion periods, nor are they limited in which conditions they can exclude. New exclusion periods can also be enforced anytime you purchase a new health insurance policy from the same company or any other Arizona health insurance company. As an advantage to you, Arizona health insurance policies that cover the parents' dependents, must also cover newborns and newly adopted children for the first 31 days. The parents must then make the required health insurance policy adjustments to include the new child under their coverage. Arizona health insurance companies are either licensed in the state of Arizona or not. If they are licensed within Arizona, you know, as a consumer that the company has met the Arizona health insurance regulations. Although being licensed is a good quality indicator of Arizona health insurance companies, you should still be aware of the few basic Arizona health insurance company regulations. First, as we stated before, at the end of any Arizona health insurance policy's term, you always have the option of renewing it for another term. This is, of course, assuming you have done nothing that results in the termination of your health insurance policy (e.g. not paid premiums, provided false information on your application). Second, the cost and availability of Arizona health insurance is NOT regulated by Arizona insurance laws. This means that, when you apply, you can be denied health insurance or charged more for health insurance based on your health. Additionally, you may be subjected to a steep increase in premiums as you grow older or your health declines. Because of these relaxed regulations, it is especially important, as a resident of Arizona, to purchase Arizona health insurance when your health is better and you are younger. For various reasons, people often experience breaks in health insurance coverage. These lapses should not be ignored, but rather rectified by purchasing temporary Arizona health insurance. Arizona health insurance companies offer temporary insurance in the form of conversion policies. Eligible applicants are individuals that have left a fully insured group policy. Conversion policies are not meant to be used as your permanent Arizona health insurance, but to provide temporary health insurance. You must apply for a conversion policy no later than 31 days after the end of your previous Arizona health insurance policy. There are no guarantees to what is covered under a conversion policy or how much it will cost. This means you may be paying much more for fewer benefits than your previous health insurance.
Arizona
150 North 18th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Website: http://azdhs.gov/division.htm
Phone: (602) 542-1025 (8am - 5pm)
Fax: (602) 542-0883
