Arizona Individual Health Insurance Plans

Different types of individual health insurance plans are available in Arizona varying in price and features. Some health plans pay most of your medical bills for any serious illnesses and injuries. Other health plans pay half your medical bills for a certain injury or illness. Many of these health care plans pay your bills per routine visit in the hospital and do not affect your medical benefits.

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

• A HMO is an individual health insurance plan in Arizona that offers members within the organization health care services and members pay a fixed monthly rate. Services include routine office visits, hospital care and surgery. HMOs are an alternative to traditional individual health insurance because they offer actual medical services rather than a reimbursement for medical expenses. Patients generally pay a small fee for services or medical care they receive.

  Health maintenance organizations can be set up in various ways. Some HMOs have their own doctors, who treat their patients at HMO centers. Other HMOs have contracts with individual doctors or a group of doctors. Patients are often treated at the health centers or doctors' offices. Health maintenance organization members typically have to receive medical care at an HMO hospital, doctors who contract with the HMO or another HMO facility.

Major Medical Expense

• Major medical expense policies cover serious injury or illness where medical costs are high. Medical expenses include hospital fees, doctors' visits and drug costs. Most major medical expense plans contain deductibles. A deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance company begins paying medical benefits. Once your expenses exceed the deductible amount, medical benefits are paid as a percentage of the total bill, often 80 percent.

  For senior citizens who receive Social Security benefits under the age of 65 or individuals 65 years of age or older, the Medicare program pays most major medical expenses. Unfortunately, the Medicare program does not pay all medical expenses. Participants may consider purchasing Medicare supplements that pays for deductibles and certain medical expenses.

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

• A PPO is an individual health insurance policy in Arizona that contracts selected doctors and hospitals to offer discounted medical services. A preferred provider organization member has the ability to seek medical care from a hospital or doctor that is not within the preferred provider organization, but have to pay higher fees or deductibles.

Hospital Confinement Indemnity

• Hospital confinement indemnity pays a fixed fee per day that a person is confined in a hospital. Actual medical expenses do not determine benefits. This individual health insurance policy is best used as a supplement and should not be used as a primary health insurance plan.