Arizona Health Insurance and You

What could be more amazing than Arizona’s Grand Canyon is having access to affordable health insurance. Many Arizona residents qualify for financial assistance to get private medical insurance under Obamacare. You could even get free or low-cost health insurance in Arizona through public programs like Medicaid.

To help you better understand the Arizona health insurance market and your coverage options, you can navigate to the sections below to learn more.

Arizona State Health Plans: ACA Marketplace

Arizona uses the federally-run Marketplace at Healthcare.gov for open enrollment, which takes place each year from November 1 to January 15. This enrollment period is for private individual and family health insurance plans regulated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You also have access to these plans if you’re a self-employed entrepreneur with no employees.

Besides enrollment through the public exchange at Healthcare.gov, you can get ACA-qualified coverage in the private Marketplace. This includes buying health insurance directly from a private insurer or connecting with a licensed insurance agent.

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Subsidies For ACA Plans 

Obamacare (ACA) subsidies are financial aid to help pay for your monthly premiums based on your income and household size, not your employment status. So you can still qualify for savings on an Obamacare plan even if you’re unemployed or in between jobs. You can report your expected income from unemployment benefits when applying for coverage.

Subsidies are available if the benchmark plan costs more than 8.5% of your income, with no cap on income level. Our ACA subsidy calculator helps you determine your eligibility for healthcare subsidies based on your income, household size, and location. The tool also accounts for special cases like unemployment benefits and the “family glitch.”

Medicaid

Another way the ACA has helped Arizona residents is through Medicaid expansion. In 2014, Arizona accepted federal funding to expand its Medicaid program to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Because of the expansion, 432,100 more adults have access to low-cost or free health insurance through the state’s Medicaid program known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).

Arizona has expanded the state’s Medicaid program, which offers free or low-cost health insurance for those who qualify.

Check this resource to see if you qualify in terms of income and if you’re among the following eligible people:

• Parents and caretaker relatives of children
• Children
• Former foster care youths up to age 26 (regardless of income)
• Pregnant women
• Non-citizens with medical emergencies
• Elderly (65 and older) and disabled adults who don’t currently receive Social Security Income (SSI)

Arizona Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) 

The CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) in Arizona, known as KidsCare, provides affordable health insurance to children in low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid. It covers essential services such as doctor visits, immunizations, prescriptions, and dental care. KidsCare aims to ensure that children receive the necessary medical attention to stay healthy and thrive, offering peace of mind to parents regarding their children’s healthcare needs.

Short-Term Health Insurance

Unlike Obamacare plans, short-term medical plans are not regulated by the ACA. They don’t provide comprehensive health insurance and can deny you coverage based on a preexisting condition. However, short-term health insurance may be ideal for situations where you’re temporarily uninsured, such as losing coverage from a former job or waiting for coverage to begin at a new job. 

^Medicare

Arizonans have several Medicare options. The default is Original Medicare, which includes Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) insurance, managed by the federal government with automatic enrollment for some.

Many add-ons are available through private insurers, including Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans), Medicare Supplement (covering out-of-pocket costs), and Medicare Advantage (offering Parts A and B with extra benefits).

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Next Steps

Whether you’re applying for coverage for yourself or a family of four, make sure to review all your options. Examine what makes sense for your needs and budget.

Resources

• Health Insurance Marketplace (healthcare.gov)
  Click here to apply for coverage, compare plans, and enroll. For questions, call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325).
• Cover Arizona
  Click here to find a local navigator or certified application counselor to help you get health benefits coverage.
• Understanding Health Insurance
  Click here for resources to better understand health insurance and the marketplace.