Insurance is complicated. But complicated insurance helps consumers receive coverage for their complicated lives.
Our lives have a lot of moving parts. In order to keep up, insurance companies offer a wide range of coverage options. And we understand it can be difficult to wrap your head around what all these options mean.
If you’re an Arizona resident who’s on the verge of tearing out their hair trying to comprehend their Medicare plan, take a deep breath. You’re in the right place.
Keep reading to have all your questions about Medicare coverage in Arizona answered.
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Starting with the basics: Medicare is a government-sponsored health care plan for individuals over the age of 65 and for those younger than 65 with specific disabilities. Medicare is specifically designed to be an affordable option for those who need health coverage the most.
The plan consists of four parts:
These four parts make up comprehensive health care coverage and help give you peace of mind throughout your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
Medigap is supplemental coverage available for purchase in addition to your existing Medicare.
Medigap is not the same as Medicare Advantage.
Medigap coverage exists to fill in the “gaps” left by Medicare. Things like copays and coinsurance on your Medicare policy will add up over time, but Medigap will help you combat those sneaky costs.
If you’re able, it’s a good idea to look into a Medigap plan to cover what Medicare is missing. In Arizona, Medigap has ten standardized supplemental plans that are labeled by letters from A to N. Each plan has slight variations in terms of price and coverage. Consulting with an insurance expert to understand which plan will work best for you can help you make sense of all of your options.
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There are four parts to every Medicare policy, and a Medicare plan won’t necessarily contain all of them. The state’s baseline for Medicare plans is called “Original Medicare.” And Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B only.
Original Medicare only covers hospital and medical expenses. No customizable additional coverages, no drug coverage, and no gap coverage.
Obtaining your Medicare coverage in Arizona is rather simple. All you need to do is apply, which can be done via an online portal or by contacting your local social security office.
But the timing of when you apply is important. You can’t apply for Medicare at just any time of the year.
Rather, you must apply during an appropriate enrollment period. Here’s a breakdown of how those work:
Keeping track of when you can enroll in Medicare is important so that you have the coverage you need when you need it.
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Enrollment in Medicare is only automatic if an individual starts receiving social security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits at least four months before turning 65.
In these specific cases, your Medicare coverage would start automatically. So, you would not need to worry about any enrollment periods.
Unfortunately, yes there are penalties for late enrollment. In Arizona, these penalties take the form of additional charges and fees.
If you miss the enrollment periods for Part A, Part B, or Part D, you will be penalized. However, there is no such penalization for Medicare Advantage plans.
No one wants to pay more than they need to for insurance, so be sure to enroll as soon as you become eligible, within an appropriate period.
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The bulk of information given thus far is a broad explanation of Medicare. This form of health insurance is run by the federal government, so the information applies across all 50 states.
That said, there are some distinctive factors that Arizonians should know about their Medicare coverage in Arizona.
Location plays a large role in both the pricing of your Medicare, and which health care providers are within the accepted network.
Good news! Medicare in Arizona is very affordable. Arizona residents pay roughly 11% less than the national average for Medicare coverage.
Here’s a breakdown of what the average Arizona resident pays for Medicare:
Medicare insurance in Arizona is meant to be affordable. Getting the coverage you need as you age is important, so that you can stay in peak health through retirement and beyond. Find more retirement planning tips here to help you sail off into the sunset with ease.
If you have Medicare, you are able to see any health care provider anywhere in the United States that accepts Medicare patients. However, not every office accepts Medicare patients, so it’s important to check with the health care services that you’re using.
Also, if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may need to look for practitioners within the specified network of healthcare providers. But this only applies if you have a plan that specifies such a network.
We’ve just thrown a lot of information at you. But getting you the information you need to make the right decisions for your health and wallet are crucial. At ConsumerCoverage, we want to help consumers like you understand your insurance better.
Whether you’re looking to plan ahead or need coverage now, we’ve got you covered. Get access to free quotes now so you can explore your Medicare options and decide what’s right for you.
Hollay Ghadery Hollay Ghadery is a writer and editor who is passionate about financial literacy as a means to personal fulfillment. Hollay has over 18 years of experience creating content about a range of topics related to personal finance, including insurance, investing, banking, and credit cards. When Hollay isn't writing, she's spending time with her four children, two dogs, and three goats.
