About Mike Higgins Insurance
Michael Higgins, the principal of Michael Higgins Insurance, has more than 28 years as a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona health insurance broker. The vast knowledge accumulated over the years makes him proficient not only in understanding your health insurance needs, but also in pointing out the differences among other Arizona health insurance plans and the numerous plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.
It is significant that as an experienced health insurance broker, Michael Higgins has chosen to represent only one health insurance company, Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona, because he believes their health care plans always offer the best value.
"My experience over the years has been that each time I compared prices and coverage offered by several companies for a client, Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona was always the best value."
The ups and downs in Mike Higgins own life has given him a solid grounding in the realization that the personal choices an individual makes in addressing health issues can make a difference.
At one point in his life Mike Higgins was a semi-professional cyclist, training hundreds of miles a week on his road bike. On May 22nd of 1990, at 4:35 in the afternoon, he was run over by a full-size Chevy Blazer, the rear tire traveling up his back and over his head, breaking three vertebrae in the neck as well as breaking his wrist. Fortunately, except for several stitches over an eye, no surgery was necessary for his injuries. However, he wore a neck brace for a very long time due to the injured vertebrae. Although some doctors suggested surgery, he simply chose not to go that route. During the long recovery he gained over sixty-two pounds. Over time, as the weight increased, so did the pain in his back. He eventually ended up sleeping on the floor near a wall, which he used for support as he agonizingly dragged himself to an upright position each morning. Again refusing a surgical procedure, he began to use alcohol to help relieve some of the pain. Needless to say, his physical health continued to deteriorate due to his unhealthy lifestyle.
In January of 1996, nearly six years after his cycling accident Mike Higgins finally made a monumental decision to make a complete change in his life style. His vertebrae had healed years ago.
From his years in cycling he knew that exercise would help with the depression, the pain, and the sleep problems. So he joined the YMCA. They say it takes around twenty-two days to form a habit, and so he went to the YMCA for twenty-two days straight, slowly increasing the work out intensity each day. While consistently going to the gym over the next year, Mike Higgins lost the sixty-two pounds. Continuing to exercise on a regular basis his weight has stayed off.
Michael Higgins’s health insurance is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. He has chosen the BluePreferred Basic Plan, which is a lower premium, high-deductible PPO plan (Preferred Provider Organization). It covers most medical services such as office visits, prescriptions, annual physicals, and urgent care with a low co-pay, the deductible does not apply. With the high deductible of $5000, Michael Higgins keeps his monthly premium payments low. He chooses doctors who are network-preferred-providers, which lowers his out-of-pocket medical costs as well.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has negotiated various reimbursement methods with their contracted providers. After paying a deductible, coinsurance or co-pay amount, these providers cannot bill for the difference between the billed charges and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona allowed amount for the covered service.
An example of how this worked for Mike Higgins: "Recently I went to my network-preferred doctor. I paid my $35.00 co-pay benefit for the office visit. A specialist who is a contracted Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona provider "read" my chest x-ray and submitted a bill to azblue.com for $300.00. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona allowed $34.80 for the covered doctor’s service. I paid the $34.80, not the billed $300.00."
Everyone’s health care needs are different. However, when you choose Mike Higgins to be your Arizona health insurance broker, you will be dealing with someone who not only is knowledgeable about all the plans Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offers, but also someone who, himself, is a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona member. He will answer all your questions, take you through the process of applying for a Blue Cross Blue Shield of AZ insurance plan on his website, and will be there to help with any other questions that might arise after you become a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona member.
The testimonials from his many satisfied customers speak volumes about the man, as do the awards he has received from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for his industry knowledge and leadership in the health insurance field.
If you would like to contact Mike Higgins, send an e-mail to:Mike Higgins or call: (602) 405-8769. He will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
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