Medicare in Arizona

Medicare enrollment in Arizona

As of December 2025, there were 1,543,490 residents with Medicare in Arizona.¹ For most people, Medicare enrollment goes along with turning 65. But after receiving Social Security disability benefits for two years a person will become eligible for Medicare, and Medicare eligibility is also triggered if a person is diagnosed with kidney failure or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In Arizona, about 8% of Medicare beneficiaries are under 65 – and enrolled due to a qualifying disability, end-stage renal disease, or ALS – while about 92% are eligible due to their age.²

Nationwide, almost 90% of Medicare beneficiaries are eligible due to their age, and the remaining 10% are eligible due to a disability.³

Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment in Arizona

About 51% of Arizona Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Advantage coverage as of December 2025,² which was roughly the same as the nationwide average.³ The rest of the state’s Medicare beneficiaries had coverage under Original Medicare.

There are Medicare Advantage plans for sale statewide in Arizona for 2026, but plan availability varies considerably from one part of the state to another.⁴

Learn more about Medicare Advantage, Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, and the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period.

Medicare supplement (Medigap) plan availability in Arizona

Original Medicare beneficiaries who want help paying their out-of-pocket costs can purchase Medicare supplement (Medigap) coverage.

Learn more about how Medigap plans are standardized and what they cover.

In 2026, there are 29 insurers that sell Medigap plans in Arizona.⁵

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans, there is no annual open enrollment period for Medigap plans. Instead, federal regulations allow for a six-month guaranteed-issue window that begins when a person is 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B. After a person’s enrollment period ends (and unless the person qualifies for one of the limited guaranteed-issue rights), Medigap insurers can use medical underwriting to determine whether an applicant is eligible for coverage, and if so, at what price.

Federal rules do not grant a guaranteed-issue open enrollment period for Medigap if the applicant is under 65 and enrolling in Medicare as a result of a disability. The majority of the states have implemented rules ensuring at least some access to Medigap plans for enrollees who are under the age of 65, but Arizona is not among them. As of 2026, no insurers in Arizona offer Medigap policies to people under 65.⁵

Although Medigap plans are not available in Arizona to people under age 65, these beneficiaries do have the option to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage plans do not vary their premiums based on medical history, and they do have built-in out-of-pocket caps, so they may appeal to some disabled Medicare beneficiaries who would otherwise have Original Medicare without any caps on out-of-pocket costs. But there are pros and cons to Medicare Advantage, and enrollees should be aware of all of the details before selecting a plan.

Disabled Medicare beneficiaries qualify for a Medigap open enrollment period once they turn 65. At that point, they can enroll in any Medigap plan available in their area, without medical underwriting.

Medicare Part D plan availability and enrollment in Arizona

For 2026, insurers in Arizona are offering 10 stand-alone Part D plan options.⁶ The lowest monthly premiums for these plans start at $0/month.⁶

As of December 2025, 493,118 Arizona Medicare beneficiaries had stand-alone Part D plans, and another 750,758 had Part D coverage as part of their Medicare Advantage plans.²

The annual Medicare open enrollment period (October 15 to December 7) is an opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries to change their Part D coverage if they choose to do so. Any changes made during this window will take effect on January 1 of the coming year. Beneficiaries are encouraged to compare all of the available plans each year, as the plan options may have changed since last year, as might have the enrollee’s prescription needs.