Arizona Student Health Insurance

Your daughter or son has been accepted to college in Arizona and you are searching for student health insurance.

Welcome to Michael Higgins Insurance. We are an independent medical insurance agency that specializes in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona health insurance plans for students, individuals, families and small businesses. We also offer dental insurance plans by TDAHP-Total Dental Administrator Health Plan, Inc., short term medical insurance by AZ TempMed STM and Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Medicare supplement benefit plans.

Why Student Health Insurance?
There are many reasons why you may be looking for student health insurance. The student is not covered with a health insurance plan through an employer, parent, or the school they will be attending. The student is covered on their parents’ plan in another state, but will be outside the HMO or PPO region of the parents’ health plan and you have concerns about their out-of-network deductibles. Some student health plans are very costly and not suited to your needs. The college’s student health insurance seems expensive.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona does not offer an “only” student health insurance plan. When a parent or student requests help in finding reasonable student health insurance in Arizona, Michael Higgins Insurance proposes they look at the various individual plans offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. Call us today, or click here to see the various individual health insurance plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, which would be suitable as an alternative to the student health insurance offered by the college.

For students whose parent(s) currently has a family Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona plan, you are covered, as are any other family dependents, up to the age of 30 as long as the policy remains in effect.

Student Health Insurance: Pros and Cons
There are a number of colleges in Arizona. However, the University of Arizona has a large student population of not only in-state students but also many out-of-state students. It is instructive to compare the benefits and price between student health insurance policies offered by the University of Arizona and individual plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. At Michael Higgins Insurance, we have found parents and students are usually surprised by the differences.

Cost is the number one difference. In 2008, the student health insurance through the University of Arizona cost around $1500 for two semesters and $2000 if also attending summer school. An individual plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona can be half the University of Arizona student health insurance cost, depending on the deductible chosen. Most student health insurance plans offered through the school offer limited benefits such as a $300,000 lifetime maximum, compared to a $5,000,000 lifetime maximum with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. Students may keep their Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona policy up to the age of 65. Student health insurance at the University of Arizona is only for the duration of the student’s schooling. The co-pays to see a physician, the co-pays for medications and the vision benefits are about the same for the University of Arizona’s student health insurance and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s individual plans. Annual physicals and gynecological exams are covered with no deductible for both the University of Arizona’s student health insurance and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s individual plans.

However, because Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is the largest locally owned insurer in Arizona, as well as a non-profit organization, no other company compares when it comes to the negotiated rates between themselves and their contracted providers. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona members benefit and your student is likely to ultimately pay less out-of-pocket with a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona individual health insurance plan than they would with a University of Arizona student health insurance plan. Likewise, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s huge network of doctors and specialists, your student will have many excellently qualified doctors to choose from.

Student health insurance at the University of Arizona offers maternity benefits. The individual plans of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona will only cover maternity complications. There is also a dental component to the student health insurance plan at the University of Arizona. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona does not have a dental plan as part of their individual plans.
At Michael Higgins Insurance, we would suggest considering a TDAHP-Total Dental Administrator Health Plan, Inc. These dental coverage plans have better benefits and can be purchased separately for around $15 a month.

Potential Risk of Having No Student Health Insurance
The high cost of health care in the US presents a serious health risk, and financial risk to students. Inadequate insurance coverage can result in temporary or permanent interruption of a student's education. The rising number of students without student health insurance healthcare coverage further compounds the challenge of keeping healthcare affordable. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona plans are tackling the problem by developing innovative programs to reduce the number of uninsured students.

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Michael Higgins Insurance welcomes the opportunity of developing exactly the type of student health insurance plan to fit your needs.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Michael Higgins at 602.405.8769 or toll-free 877.619.8621.