ACA Plans in Scottsdale Az area

[RockyMtn]

First time ACA buyer in Scottsdale Az. Anyone have any comments/suggestions on a Silver Plan? Seems as though BCBS, Cigna and Phoenix Health have the most plans. Not thrilled with Phoenix Health hospitals but it is the cheapest of the three.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[candrew]

Not sure if you read this in yesterday's Az. Republic, but one's options will be further limited by the removal of Meritus from the Arizona ACA marketplace....

Arizona health insurance co-op off the marketplace

"A low-cost health insurance co-op that covers about one in three Arizonans that have an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan won't be allowed to sell health plans Sunday — the opening day consumers can purchase insurance — after the state of Arizona and the federal government took action against the entity.

The Arizona Department of Insurance said Friday afternoon that Meritus Health Partners/Meritus Mutual Health Partners has been placed into "supervision" and only can continue to serve existing clients until the end of the year."

 

[Ian S]

I went on the ACA last year and enrolled in one of the BCBS PPO silver plans. I've been with BCBS for a couple of decades using their individual plans and have generally been happy with their PPO offerings. Their statewide network is second to none IMHO but for 2016, they've eliminated their PPOs in favor of HMOs from which you can select one of two narrower networks. At least with BCBS, even their HMO plans don't require a referral to see a specialist.

I'm thinking I may switch in 2016 to one of the few remaining PPO plans in Arizona offered by United Healthcare. Their premiums are a bit lower and at least all my docs would be in-network. The trick is that even though they allow you to see a specialist without a referral, your copay is higher for that privilege. Since I'm already under the care of several specialists, I wonder if I'm going to have to get referrals to them all again just to avoid the copay penalty. Or I may just stick with BCBS and select the one network which includes most of my docs. I'll only be on the plan through July as I'll be going on Medicare August 1.

 

[zinger1457]

I'm thinking I may switch in 2016 to one of the few remaining PPO plans in Arizona offered by United Healthcare. Their premiums are a bit lower and at least all my docs would be in-network.

I'm in the same boat, my current BCBS-AZ PPO plan won't be offered next year, will likely go with United Healthcare.

 

[Animorph]

Humana offers one non-marketplace option: HDHP, HSA eligible, ChoiceCare PPO plan, $6450 deductible, and 25% co-pay for out of network. It was the only plan I could find, marketplace or not, with a network that included my PCP. You have to go to humana.com to see it. United Healthcare's network didn't include any of our doctors and was 50% co-pay for out of network. Cost is about what I was paying for BCBS, so it seems like a good option.