How health insurance works in Arizona
Arizonans buying their own coverage have two markets: HealthCare.gov (healthcare.gov), where plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Ambetter, Oscar, Banner|Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare are guaranteed-issue and priced on income, and the private shared-network market, where PPO plans on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO are underwritten and priced on age and health.
Medicaid is expanded (AHCCCS) in Arizona. Arizona has no state individual mandate.
What it costs
Full-price marketplace plans for a 40-year-old in Phoenix commonly run $550–$850 a month in 2026; with a subsidy, often under $300. Private PPOs for the same healthy person run roughly $320–$480. Arizona has a flat 2.5% state income tax — low, so the premium itself matters more than the deduction.
The Arizona picture
Arizona's marketplace is dominated by HMO plans tied to one hospital system, so people who want to keep doctors across Phoenix and Tucson — or who travel — are the ones who end up on a PPO.