As of October 1st, 2010, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona will no longer offer HMO plans to individual and family customers in Arizona. (HMO options will still be available on group employer plans.)
The Blue Cross HMO plan, called BlueSelect, had gotten so expensive that very few people were buying it anyway. However, it was one of only a few options for maternity coverage available to individuals in Arizona. Golden Rule and Assurant recently stopped offering maternity plans here as well.
Without Blue Cross, the only Arizona maternity plans currently being offered are available through Cigna and HealthNet. Both are high-quality plans, however they have a 12 month waiting period before you can become pregnant. If you don’t mind waiting 12 months, this is a very good option. If you’d like to apply for one of these plans or want more information, please call us at 1-800-600-9663 or fill out our online quote request form.
Another option for maternity care is to pay a hospital directly. Many hospitals are now offering self-pay maternity programs, so contact your local hospitals to find out if this option is affordable for you. I asked one of the Vice Presidents at Blue Cross Blue Shield directly what he thinks people should do if they need maternity, and his suggestion was to get one of the self-pay hospital plans. There are pros and cons to these plans – feel free to give us a call at (800) 600-9663 if you have questions.
