Out of the 229,937 Mesa, Arizona residents who are receiving Medicare benefits, only 48.71% of them have Medicare Advantage. What are the rest doing? Many could supplement their Original Medicare benefits with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. But many could have no supplement plan whatsoever.

Medicare plans in Mesa, Arizona

Sadly, Medicare doesn’t cover everything in Arizona or any other state. And the benefits which are not covered can be costly. Below, we will offer solutions based on plans and rate calculations for the average 73-year-old Mesa, Arizona citizen.

Medicare Advantage plans

Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona will vary by zip code. Based on data for Mesa, the average Medicare beneficiary is in their early 70s and female. Many are vulnerable to unsupplemented Medicare expenses.

Luckily, plenty of Medicare Supplement plans are available in the area, including 60 Medicare Advantage plans.

Since all major plans in Mesa, Arizona, come with $0 monthly premiums, your first step towards finding the cheapest plan is to find one with the lowest maximum out-of-pocket cost.

That would be Banner, whose MOOP cost is $2,775. It’s an HMO plan, which means the medical network is a little limited, but that should keep your cost of care low.

Next is UnitedHealthcare’s $3,000 maximum out-of-pocket cost per year. They are also an HMO, but unlike Banner, they have a four out of five-star customer service rating.

This at least lets you know that the beneficiaries who have Medicare Advantage plan with them are highly satisfied with their service.

Aetna is the top Medicare Advantage plan’s most expensive, with maximum out-of-pocket costs of $5,500 per year. But they do have a stellar 4-star rating from customers. They are a PPO, meaning you will have a greater variety of choices regarding your care.

The average costs of Medicare Advantage plans in Mesa, Arizona

PLAN PREMIUM MOOP Plan Type Star Rating
Humana $0 $4,400 LOCAL PPO 4
UnitedHealthcare $0 $3,000 HMO 4
Banner $0 $2,775 HMO N/A
BCBS of Arizona $0 $4,250 HMO 3
Aetna $0 $5,500 LOCAL PPO 4

Medicare Supplement plans

For Medicare beneficiaries who are happy with Medicare Parts A and B, you can supplement the gaps in your coverage with an Arizona Medigap plan.

Unfortunately, there are benefits that Original Medicare will not cover. But you can choose from ten standardized Medigap plans with varying coverage levels to meet your needs without breaking your budget.

Based on this level of standardization, finding the cheapest plan boils down to finding the lowest monthly premium.

You will want to use a high-deductible plan like Plan HDF or Plan HDG. Both of those are available for less than $41 per month right now in Mesa, Arizona.

Medigap Plan N does not offer a high-deductible plan because it doesn’t offer as much coverage as Plan G or Plan F. It does not help you with your Part B deductible or Part B excess charges and only covers part of your Part B coinsurance.

With Plan N, you will still have a $20 copay per office visit and a $50 copay per ER visit, assuming you are discharged immediately after treatment and not admitted to the hospital.

The average cost of Medicare Supplement plans in Mesa, Arizona

LETTER PLAN LOWEST PREMIUM HIGHEST PREMIUM
PLAN A $90.11 $416.72
PLAN B $132.65 $329.12
PLAN C $142.58 $373.75
PLAN D $134.75 $290.00
PLAN F $125.71 $464.43
PLAN HDF $40.37 $59.05
PLAN G $110.35 $427.82
PLAN HDG $40.37 $58.25
PLAN K $37.95 $127.00
PLAN L $76.67 $233.23
PLAN M $85.55 $258.15
PLAN N $90.80 $314.85

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans

If you need prescription drug coverage in Arizona under Medicare, you have two options: a Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Part D.

The Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is designed to help retirees afford prescription medications. You can easily anticipate the costs of your monthly premium and your annual deductible.

Finding a happy balance between your monthly premium and your deductible is the easiest way to find the cheapest plan. But these numbers are usually inverse of one another.

This is true for UnitedHealthcare, which costs $27.60 monthly in premiums but only comes with a $310 deductible.

Most other Medicare Part D plans in Mesa, Arizona, have the same $480 annual deductible. But Aetna’s plan only costs $7.50 per month in premiums. They also have a three-star customer service rating, which isn’t too bad.

Wellcare is almost twice as expensive at $13 monthly in premiums with a 3-star customer service rating. Humana is still more expensive at $22.70 per month, but they have a 4-star rating, which is good news for beneficiaries who care about customer service.

The average cost of Medicare Part D plans in Mesa, Arizona

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING
Aetna $7.50 $480 3
Wellcare $13.00 $480 3
Humana $22.70 $480 4
UnitedHealthcare $27.60 $310 4
Clear Spring $29.10 $480 2

Special Needs plans

You may need a Special Needs Plan if you’re struggling with chronic health conditions. These are only available through Medicare Advantage.

They keep your cost of care low by limiting your medical network, but the doctors and facilities they restrict you to are designed to be experts in the care you need.

The cheapest available Medicare Advantage SNP is from Alignment for beneficiaries with an ailment classified as either chronic or disabling.

You’ll pay $0 monthly in premiums and only have to worry about $2,499 in out-of-pocket costs before your insurance provider steps in. The eligibility requirements are lesser than they would be with other providers.

One of those providers with higher eligibility requirements is Magellan. The qualify for a Magellan plan, your disability must be chronic and disabling. Before meeting your deductible, you will also have to worry about $7,550 in out-of-pocket costs.

Banner has the same eligibility requirements but a much lower deductible. The deductible for a Banner SNP Medicare Advantage plan is $2,900. This makes it a little more expensive than Alignment, but a potential source of cost savings nonetheless.

The average cost of Medicare Special Needs plans in Mesa, Arizona

PLAN PREMIUM MOOP Plan Type Eligibility
Globalhealth $0 $2,900 HMO Chronic or Disabling
Alignment $0 $2,499 HMO Chronic or Disabling
Magellan $0 $7,550 HMO Dual
Banner $0 $2,900 HMO Dual
Scan Desert $0 $2,800 HMO Chronic or Disabling

How to sign up for Medicare plans in Mesa

If you’re ready to get free rate quotes and compare plans in Mesa, Arizona, you can fill out our rate form, and one of our licensed agents will compare all your options side by side.

Written By:
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Lindsay Malzone, Lindsay Malzone is the Medicare editor for Medigap.com. She's been contributing to many well-known publications since 2017. Her passion is educating Medicare beneficiaries on all their supplemental Medicare options so they can make an informed decision on their healthcare coverage.
Reviewed By:
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Rodolfo Marrero, Rodolfo Marrero is one of the co-founders at Medigap.com. He has been helping consumers find the right coverage since the site was founded in 2013. Rodolfo is a licensed insurance agent that works hand-in-hand with the team to ensure the accuracy of the content.