Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona currently offers the two most popular individual and family health insurance plans available in Arizona.
1. BlueOptimum Plus PPO Plan
Their biggest seller, called Blue Optimum Plus PPO, is a high-quality product offered at a very competitive rate.
You pay just $25 when you go to a primary doctor and $50 when you visit a specialist. Generic prescriptions cost a maximum of $15 for a one-month supply, and most brand name prescriptions will cost you a maximum of $35. Some brand name drugs can cost more, but most are available for $35. This Blue Optimum PPO policy has a separate brand name prescription deductible of $250 per person per year.
You have your choice of deductibles ranging from $250 to $10,000. The lowest deductible, at just $250, will cost you the most in monthly premiums. In our professional opinion, the $250 deductible is not a smart option, since the deductible is not required to be met in order to get doctor visits for the copay amount of $25. The doctor visit copay starts from the very first day your policy goes into effect. The highest deductible available on this plan is $10,000, and will cost you the least each month, but professionally-speaking again, we think this deductible is too high for the average person. The deductibles of $2,000, $3,000 and $5,000 are the most popular.
Your deductible comes into the picture when you are admitted to a hospital, and this plan has an 80% / 20% coinsurance stipulation. This means that once you meet your deductible, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona will then begin to pay 80% of your medical bills, making you pay the other 20%. Once your 20% totals $2500, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona will then pay 100% of your medical bills. Even after you’ve met your deductible and your 20%, you are still required to pay for prescriptions and office visit co-pays.
2. Blue Portfolio Plus HSA PPO Plan
The other popular Arizona Blue Cross plan is called Blue Portfolio Plus HSA PPO. We think this is the smartest plan option for various reasons. The BluePortfolio plan is a health savings account-compatible plan. If you have one of these types of plans, the IRS allows you to open a health savings account (like an IRA) at a financial institution of your choice. You can put pre-tax money into the account, and the money can grow with interest. You may take money out of the account to pay for qualified medical expenses. If you don’t use the HSA money, it carries over from year to year.
The Blue Portfolio Plus HSA Plan is available in three deductibles – $1750, $3000 and $5500. On this plan, you do not get doctor visits or prescriptions for just a copay like on the Blue Optimum PPO plan described above. Instead, you must pay the doctor and prescription cost yourself until you meet your chosen deductible. But you won’t be paying the doctor or drug store their normal charge – you will be paying the discounted rate that Blue Cross pays. And the copay and prescription costs will apply toward your deductible.
There is no 80/20 stipulation on this HSA policy – once you’ve met your chosen deductible, Blue Cross will pay 100% of the rest of your medical bills for the policy year. This includes, but is not limited to, your doctor visits, prescriptions, lab tests, surgeries and hospitalizations.
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Confused about these plans? If you would like more information regarding these or any other health insurance plans available here in Arizona, give Lehrman Group a call at (800) 600-9663, or click here to request an extensive rate quote. Your quotes will include rates for the Arizona Blue Cross plans, Cigna of Arizona, Health Net, United Health Care, and/or other plans we determine to be your smartest choices.
