Top 66 Medicare Advantage Plans Maricopa County, AZ
We reviewed the top 66 Medicare Advantage Plans available in Maricopa County, Arizona for 2023. Here's what we discovered:
Key Facts
- The average premium is $11.18 per month.
- The average out-of-pocket limit is $4,245 per year.
- The average drug plan deductible (for plans that include Part D) is $88.49 per year.
- Medicare rated 35% of all plans available in Maricopa County 4 stars or higher.
- There are no 5-star plans available.
- There are 4 plan types to choose from, including PPO, HMO, HMO-POS, MSA, and possibly SNP plans, as well.
Maricopa County, Arizona Medicare Advantage Plans
Maricopa County, AZ
Medicare Advantage Plan Information
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans provide an alternative to Original MedicareOriginal Medicare is private fee-for-service health insurance for people on Medicare. It has two parts. Part A is hospital coverage. Part B is medical coverage. for beneficiaries living in Maricopa County. The 66 plans available are offered by Medicare-approved private companies that agree to provide coverage by Medicare's rules. MA plans, also known as Medicare Part CMedicare Part C is Medicare's private health plan option. Also known as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part C plans are a type of Medicare health plan offered by companies that contract with Medicare to provide all..., can offer additional benefits that aren’t available through Original Medicare.
One of the most common additional benefits offered is coverage for prescription medications. These plans are also known as Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (or MAPDs). They offer Maricopa County beneficiaries who wish to reduce their out-of-pocket costsOut-of-Pocket Costs for Medicare are the remaining costs that are not covered by the beneficiary's health insurance plan. These costs can come from the beneficiary's monthly premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. comprehensive coverage.
The top-rated Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona have a star rating of 4.0 stars or higher. We recommend looking at these plans first.
4 Plan Types Available
One of the many benefits of Medicare Advantage plans is the many different types of plans. The most common plan types are HMO and PPO, but there are others. They're just not all available in all areas. In Maricopa County, AZ, Medicare beneficiaries have 4 different plan types to choose. Here's what each plan type offers:
| Plan Type | Description |
|---|---|
| HMO | Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members usually receive services through the plan's local network of providers. Referrals are typically required to see a specialist and other providers. However, plans allow out-of-network care for emergencies and out-of-area dialysis. Prescription drug coverage is often included in HMO plans, and many plans include some coverage for dental, vison, and hearing. |
| PPO | Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) members can usually use in-networkDoctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers that agree to health plan members' services and supplies at a set price are in-network providers. With some health plans, your care is only covered if you get... and out-of-network providers for care, including hospitalization. However, visits to non-network providers could cost significantly more. PPO plans often include prescription drug coverage and other benefits, and referrals are typically not required for specialist visits. |
| HMO-POS | An HMO-POS (point-of-sale) plan offers the same features as an HMO plan. There is however one major difference. HMO-POS plans allow members to access healthcare providers outside of the plan's network to receive some or all of their services. In most cases, to go out of the plan's network a member will need to get a referral from their physician. Plus, there are separate deductiblesA deductible is an amount a beneficiary must pay for their health care expenses before the health insurance policy begins to pay its share. for in-network and out-of-network services. |
| MSA | Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) plans are private companies that the Medicare program pays to manage a beneficiary's Medicare benefits. As with all types of Medicare Advantage plans, MSA plans must offer the same basic benefits included in Medicare Part AMedicare Part A is hospital coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. It covers inpatient care in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. It also covers limited home healthcare services and hospice care. and Part BMedicare Part B is medical coverage for people with Original Medicare benefits. It covers doctor visits, preventative care, tests, durable medical equipment, and supplies. Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of most medically necessary healthcare services.. However, benefits may have different rules, restrictions, and costs. Unlike other Medicare Advantage plans, MSAs have a high deductible health plan (HDHP) and a government-funded bank account for paying your medical costs. |
| SNP |
See below. |
How-To Enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan
Most people living in Maricopa County, age 65 and older, qualify to join a Medicare Advantage plan. However, that does not mean all of the top-rated Medicare Advantage Plans in Arizona will be available.
You are only allowed to join, drop or change plans during a Medicare Election Period. The period between October 15 and December 7 is the fall Open Enrollment PeriodDuring the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, Medicare Advantage and Part D plan members can change, switch, or drop a plan they chose during the Annual Election Period. OEP starts on January 1 and ends on March 31.. That's when most folks make changes to their Medicare.
Most of us also get an Individual Election Period (IEP), but it only comes around once. Your IEP is a 7-month period around your 65th birthday. It starts three months before your birth month and ends three months after, so you have plenty of time. If you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your IEP starts on the 25th month of your benefits.
Adding Medicare Part D for Prescription Coverage
Some beneficiaries may be eligible for a standalone prescription drug plan. Also known as a PDP, or Part D plan, a standalone prescription plan provides coverage for prescription drugs to Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans that do not include Part D.
It is important to know that most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage and may not allow members to sign up for a separate drug plan. Medicare rules do not allow you to be enrolled in plans that offer overlapping benefits.
Other Medicare Plan Options
Medicare Advantage is one way to get full coverage healthcare. However, many people feel that Medicare Advantage plans have too many disadvantages. Another option is to keep Original Medicare benefits and add more coverage with a Arizona Medicare Supplement and a Arizona Medicare Part DMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each... plan (PDP) to help pay for your prescription medications.
If you are not aware of the benefits of Medicare supplement insuranceMedicare Supplements are additional insurance policies that Medicare beneficiaries can purchase to cover the gaps in their Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) health insurance coverage., and how it pays the big medical bills from an extended illness or hospital stay, check out our Medigap page and compare Medicare supplement plans in your area. All Medicare supplements are standardized and regulated. That means you can go with the lowest cost policy and get all of the same benefits.
Maricopa County, Arizona Special Needs Plans (SNP)
Millions of Americans have special healthcare needs, including institutional care, care for chronic health conditions, and low-income financial needs. If you or a loved one have one of these special healthcare needs, look into the availability of a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP).
MedicareWireMedicareWire is a Medicare insurance consulting agency. We founded MedicareWire after seeing and hearing how confusing and frustrating it is to find, understand, and choose a plan. Our services are free to the consumer. catalogs Medicare SNP plans available in Maricopa County, Arizona in there own directory. We do this because Special Needs Plans are designed specifically for three types of people:
- Beneficiaries in a nursing home or receiving skilled nursing care at home;
- Beneficiaries with both Medicare and MedicaidMedicaid is a public health insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals in the United States. benefits; and
- Beneficiaries with certain chronic health conditions.
Medicare Part C Plan Availability
The MA and MAPD plans on this page are available to Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B living in Aguila, Avondale, Buckeye, Carefree, Cave Creek, Chandler, El Mirage, Fort McDowell, Fountain Hills, Gila Bend, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Laveen, Litchfield Park, Luke Air Force Base, Mesa, Morristown, New River, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Rio Verde, Scottsdale, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Tempe, Tolleson, Tonopah, Waddell, Wickenburg, Wittmann, Youngtown, and all other areas of Maricopa County, Arizona.
Citations & References
- CMS.gov, 2023 Medicare Part C Landscape Source Files, Last Accessed January 9, 2023
- Medicare.gov, "Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans", Last Accessed 18 June, 2022
- Medicare.gov, "Special Needs Plans (SNP)", Last Accessed 24 May, 2022
- Medicare.gov, "What's Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?", Last Accessed 22 May, 2022
The 2023 Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona information on this page was last updated on .