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Medicare in Arizona, for full-time residents and winter visitors alike.
Arizona has no Medigap birthday rule, so your 6-month open enrollment is the one window where any Medicare Supplement is guaranteed. See your dates, then compare Medicare Advantage and Medigap for Maricopa, Pima or wherever you call home.
When is your Medigap window?
Enter your birthday. Nothing is saved or sent until you choose to request quotes.
Appointed with Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, HealthSpring, UnitedHealthcare and many others. When we quote a Medicare Supplement, we show each company’s past rate increases, not just today’s price.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage in Arizona?
The right choice depends on your doctors, where you spend the year, and how you want to pay for care. Here is how the trade-off plays out in Arizona.
No birthday rule: your only no-health-questions doors
Some states give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Arizona does not. Outside the situations on the right, a Medigap company in Arizona can ask about your health and turn you down.
Sources: Arizona Revised Statutes 20-1133; Arizona SHIP Medigap guide. Compare every state in our Medigap rules by state tracker.
- Your 6-month windowStarts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Any plan, any company, no health questions.
- Your plan leavesIf your Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your county, you usually get 63 days to buy certain Medigap plans with no health questions. What to do if your plan is leaving.
- The trial rightJoined Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible at 65? You can switch to Original Medicare and a Medigap plan within the first 12 months.
- Moving to ArizonaMoving out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s area also triggers a guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap plans, usually within 63 days.
On Medicare before 65 in Arizona
Arizona’s own counseling program describes options for people under 65 as limited.
Source: Arizona SHIP Medigap guide; Arizona Revised Statutes.
- No required offerArizona does not require Medigap companies to sell to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability, ESRD or ALS. Companies can ask health questions or decline.
- Practical optionsMedicare Advantage plans cannot turn you down during enrollment periods, so they are often the realistic choice before 65.
- At 65You get the full 6-month open enrollment at 65 with Part B, with every Medigap plan sold in Arizona available.
Price is today. Rate history is the next ten years.
Every Plan G pays the same benefits, so companies compete on price. But many Medigap policies are priced by your current age, so the premium rises as you get older, on top of any rate increases the company files with Arizona regulators. Two companies can quote nearly the same price today and be far apart in five years.
Coming to Arizona for the winter?
Every winter, retirees from Washington, Michigan, Minnesota and beyond arrive with a Medicare plan built for home. Here is what works in both places.
Source: Medicare.gov rules on moving, special enrollment periods and Medigap coverage.
- A home-state Advantage planUsually covers only emergencies and urgent care in Arizona. Routine visits and specialists here may not be covered, so ask whether your plan has a visitor or travel program.
- MedigapWorks with any provider that accepts Medicare in Arizona and at home, which is why many winter visitors choose it.
- Making Arizona homeIf you move here permanently, you get a special enrollment period to switch Advantage or Part D plans, lasting 2 full months after the move.
- Part DCheck that your drug plan has network or mail-order pharmacies that work in both states. How to choose a 2027 Part D plan.
The Arizona Medicare Savings Program
If your income and savings are limited, Arizona’s Medicare Savings Programs, run by AHCCCS, can pay your Part B premium and, for some people, your deductibles and coinsurance. You apply through Health-e-Arizona Plus. Qualifying can also lower your drug costs and open special enrollment periods, so tell us if you have applied.
The Arizona Medicare year
With no birthday rule, these dates are the ones that matter.
Your 6-month Medigap window starts once you are 65 and on Part B. The best time to buy any Medigap plan.
Annual Enrollment: change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: one change if you are already in an Advantage plan.
You can apply for Medigap, but outside your window a company can ask health questions.
Federal windows: Medicare.gov. Turning 65 soon? Use our enrollment checklist.
Go deeper
Guides that go deeper on the questions Arizona clients ask most.
- $0 premium plansHow a Medicare Advantage plan can have a $0 premium
- Turning 65The turning-65 enrollment checklist
- This fallWhat to do during the 2027 Annual Enrollment Period
Questions Arizona clients ask
Should winter visitors use Medicare Advantage or Medigap in Arizona?
If you split the year between Arizona and another state, Medigap with Original Medicare usually works best, because it works with any provider that accepts Medicare in both places. Most Advantage plans are local and cover only emergencies away from home.
Does Arizona have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Arizona does not give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Your 6-month open enrollment and the federal guaranteed-issue situations are the main times you can buy without underwriting.
Can I get a Medigap plan in Arizona if I am under 65?
Arizona does not require companies to sell to people under 65, so they can ask health questions or decline. Medicare Advantage is often the practical option until you turn 65.
Who qualifies for the Arizona Medicare Savings Program?
People with limited income and savings. The programs are run by AHCCCS, and you apply through Health-e-Arizona Plus. We can help you check before you choose a plan.
Does it cost anything to work with you?
No. Insurance carriers pay agents a commission, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through us or directly with the company.
¿Pueden ayudarme en español?
Sí. Podemos ayudarle en español por teléfono o video. Envíe el formulario o mándenos un mensaje de texto al (773) 657-9140.
Know your window. Compare both paths. Then decide.
Send your details and a licensed advisor will compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage options for your Arizona ZIP code, including each company’s rate history, at no cost.