Information about Medicare Advantage Plans in Arizona

Quick links:

• Average 2023 Costs
• Eligibility & Enrollment
• Finding Top-Rated Plans
• List of Plans Available
  • Plans by Carrier
  • Plans by County
  • Plans by Type
• Local Resources

There are 412 different Arizona Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans available in 2023.¹ Not every MA plan is available in each county, so it's important to find out which plans are offered where you live.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the availability, benefits and costs of Medicare Advantage plans in your area of Arizona. Read below to learn more about Medicare Part C in your state.

Average costs of Medicare Advantage in Arizona

The average premium for Arizona Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage in 2023 are $14.73 per month, but you may be able to find $0 premium plans available where you live.¹ The average medical deductible for these plans is $32.07 per year.¹

Your plan premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs could vary greatly depending on the county you live in and the plan you have.

You can view average 2023 Arizona Medicare Advantage monthly premiums by county listed below in this guide.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare Medicare Advantage plan costs in your area.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Medicare Eligibility & Enrollment

If you want to enroll in Medicare Advantage in Arizona, you must first need to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B, which are referred to as Original Medicare.

You may be eligible to receive Original Medicare at age 65 if you meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident who has lived in the U.S. for five consecutive years.
  
  
• You or your spouse must have worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits.
  
  
• You or your spouse must be government employees or retirees who have not paid into Social Security but have paid Medicare payroll taxes.

You may also be eligible for Medicare under 65 if:

• You have been receiving Social Security disability benefits or certain Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for at least 24 months.
  
  
• You have ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease).
  
  
• You have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and you or your spouse have paid Social Security taxes for a certain length of time.

If you have ESRD, you may be able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or an Arizona Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP) that is specifically designed to help meet your health care needs.

How to sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan in Arizona

There are typically a few specific enrollment periods when you can sign up for different types of Medicare coverage.

The first time you may be able to enroll in an Arizona Medicare Part C plan is during your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP).

Your seven-month Medicare IEP starts three months before your 65^th birthday, includes the month of your 65^th birthday and then continues for another three months after your birthday.

Additional times at which you can typically enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan include:

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31

If you're already enrolled in a Part C plan, you may switch Medicare Advantage plans or drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare during this period which lasts from January 1 to March 31 every year.

If you return to Original Medicare during this period, you'll also be able to join a Medicare prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D).

Fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7

From October 15 to December 7 every year, you may enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.

You may also drop your current Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare during this period.

During the fall open enrollment period, also known as the Annual Enrollment Period or AEP, you may also join, switch or drop a Medicare Part D plan. 

Medicare Special Enrollment Periods (SEP)

You may potentially be granted a Medicare Special Enrollment Period (SEP) depending on your specific circumstances. You could qualify for a Medicare SEP at any time of the year.

A licensed insurance agent can help you find out if you qualify for a Medicare Special Enrollment Period.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Top-rated Medicare Advantage Plans in Arizona 2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues star ratings for all Medicare Advantage plans each year, using a system of one to five stars.

In order for a Medicare Advantage plan to be considered a top-rated plan, it must have four or more stars out of five stars.

38% of all 2023 Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug benefits in Arizona are rated four stars or higher.²

Medicare Advantage plans are rated for their performance in the following five categories:

• Preventive care and health maintenance (screenings, tests, vaccines, etc.)
• Management of chronic conditions
• Member experiences and ratings of the plan
• Member complaints and the performance of the plan compared to previous years
• Customer service

The information the CMS uses to determine its star ratings is gathered from information that is submitted to Medicare, Medicare’s regular monitoring activities and member surveys.

List of Medicare Advantage Plans Available in Arizona in 2023

To view a list of plans offered in your area within Arizona, use our plan comparison tool.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

Private insurance companies offer Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona

Some private insurance carriers may offer Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona, depending on where you live.

Private insurance carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that may be unique to the plan area they serve.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the Medicare Advantage plans that are sold by insurance companies in your area.

You can consider some of the following information as you compare Arizona Medicare Advantage plans from private insurance companies that are offered where you live:

• The Medicare Star Ratings can give you an idea of a plan’s overall quality.
  
  
• Agencies like A.M. Best, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s can provide information about an insurance company’s credit rating and financial standing.
  
  
• Websites such as the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports can teach you about a company’s reputation among its customers.
  
  
• You can read through Medicare Advantage plan reviews and testimonials from customers

Arizona Medicare Advantage plans by county

Learn more about Medicare Advantage plans by county in Arizona in 2023.

• Apache County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Cochise County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Coconino County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Gila County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Graham County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Greenlee County Medicare Advantage Plans
• La Paz County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Maricopa County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Mohave County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Navajo County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Pima County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Pinal County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Yavapai County Medicare Advantage Plans
• Yuma County Medicare Advantage Plans

AZ Medicare Advantage plans by plan type

The major types of Medicare Advantage plans include:

• HMO
  A Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) will typically require beneficiaries to use health care providers and pharmacies that are inside of the plan’s network (except in the case of emergencies). Medicare HMO plans also typically require a referral from a primary care doctor in order to see a specialist.
  
  
• PPO
  Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) can often visit providers outside of their plan’s network, though typically at a higher cost.
  
  Beneficiaries in a Medicare PPO plan typically pay less out of pocket if they receive medical services from providers within their plan network.
  
  PPO plans typically do not require patients to acquire a referral before visiting with a specialist.
  
  
• PFFS
  A Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plan will determine how much it pays to health care providers and how much you the beneficiary will pay at the point when care is received.
  
  With a PFFS plan, you can typically receive care from any doctor, hospital or health care provider that accepts Medicare and your plan’s terms. However, not all providers will accept your plan terms.
  
  
• SNP
  A Special Needs Plan (SNP) is a type of Medicare Advantage plan that is limited to people with certain specific characteristics or chronic conditions.
  
  Typically, you must receive care from health care providers and hospitals within your SNP network, except for in cases when you need emergency or urgent care, or when someone who has End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) needs out-of-area kidney dialysis.

Each of these types of Part C plans may not be available in your area. A licensed insurance agent can help you compare the types of 2023 Arizona Medicare Advantage plans that are available where you live.

Local health insurance resources in Arizona

• Arizona’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program can help provide education and counseling to beneficiaries in order to help them better utilize their Medicare insurance and empower them to make informed decisions. Arizona’s SHIP may be contacted at 800-432-4040.
  
  
• You can also explore more information about the insurance industry in Arizona by visiting the state’s Department of Insurance website.
  
  
• Arizona Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
  The state of Arizona has a number of programs designed to help with the cost of prescription drugs. There are programs for both Medicare beneficiaries and non-Medicare beneficiaries alike that can cover the cost of premiums and cost-sharing or even lower the cost of the drugs themselves.

¹ MedicareAdvantage.com's The Best States for Medicare report.

² Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.