In Phoenix, Arizona, there are currently 254,504 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. This means that 41.27% of the area’s Medicare recipients currently rely on a private plan. There are many different options in Phoenix right now, and we’ll review them to ensure you have the best program available.
Medicare plans in Phoenix, Arizona
Regarding Medicare in Arizona, beneficiaries can choose to stick with Original Medicare and purchase certain Medicare supplements to stay on top of their healthcare costs, or they can choose Medicare Advantage. Both have pros and cons, and not all plans suit everybody.
The data discussed in this article will pertain to the average 72-year-old Medicare beneficiary.
Medicare Advantage plans
According to statistical data, the average Phoenix resident on Medicare is sticking with Original Medicare, even though 60 different Medicare Advantage plans are currently available in Maricopa County. Slightly more than half (52%) of Medicare beneficiaries in the city are female.
Many Arizona Medicare Advantage providers offer $0 monthly premium plans to stay competitive. Banner, an HMO, comes with the lowest maximum out-of-pocket cost, capped at $2,775.
Plans from competitors such as Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna have higher customer service ratings and out-of-pocket costs with caps as high as $4,400 for Humana.
The average cost of Medicare Advantage plans in Phoenix, 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
Medicare Supplement plans in Arizona are easy to understand because all ten are standardized across the US. So you only have two things to worry about: your monthly premium and your provider’s reputation. These two factors will help you determine whether you have a good plan.
Some of the most popular plans have high deductible alternatives to Medigap plans. This gives you the comprehensive benefits you need for a lower monthly premium. But you will have to pay a higher out-of-pocket cost in the short term to meet your deductible.
That’s why you see such a dramatic price difference between high deductible plans and regular plans. High-deductible Plan G, for example, might cost you a maximum of $65 per month. On the other hand, the standard Plan G can cost you between $122 and $485.
The average cost of Medicare Supplement plans in Phoenix, Arizona
| LETTER PLAN | LOWEST PREMIUM | HIGHEST PREMIUM |
| PLAN A | $102.00 | $475.26 |
| PLAN B | $149.73 | $371.12 |
| PLAN C | $161.11 | $421.75 |
| PLAN D | $145.76 | $333.00 |
| PLAN F | $138.94 | $526.42 |
| PLAN HDF | $44.41 | $67.77 |
| PLAN G | $121.95 | $484.29 |
| PLAN HDG | $44.41 | $64.39 |
| PLAN K | $43.14 | $146.00 |
| PLAN L | $88.08 | $259.01 |
| PLAN M | $96.67 | $286.70 |
| PLAN N | $102.12 | $355.82 |
Medicare Part D prescription drug plans
Medicare Part D in Arizona is the prescription drug plan you can sign up for if you are enrolled in Medicare but not Medicare Advantage. It’s one of the easiest and most affordable ways to cover your life-saving prescription drugs for a fair price.
Ideally, you want to balance a low deductible and a low monthly premium, even though these two things are usually opposed. The UnitedHealthcare plan, for example, has a higher monthly premium of $28 but a low deductible of $310.
The Medicare Part D Aetna plan has the lowest monthly premium of $7.50. Yes, you’ll have to spend $480 out of pocket to meet your deductible, but they have a three-star rating, so your prices for your prescriptions after your deductible is met should be considerably low.
If you live in Phoenix and have trouble meeting the $480 deductible offered by providers like Wellcare or Humana, you might want to apply for Medicare Extra Help. It’s a service that helps low-income beneficiaries cover the costs of their prescriptions so they can stay happy and healthy.
The average cost of Medicare Part D plans in Phoenix, 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
Medicare recipients with special medical needs should look into Special Needs Plans (SNPs) from Medicare Advantage. These plans give you the cost flexibility of a private health plan with a limited medical network.
But the network was chosen specifically to care for special-needs beneficiaries, offering medical experts and facilities best equipped to treat their unique conditions.
Alignment has the lowest out-of-pocket maximum in the Phoenix area right now. Once you spend $2,499 on qualifying healthcare, your insurance provider will begin helping you cover your costs for treatment, drugs, hospitalizations, and outpatient procedures. They also have lower eligibility requirements to qualify for an SNP.
Speaking of eligibility, both the Magellan and Banner plans require dual eligibility. This means your medical condition must be chronic and disabling to qualify for their SNP. But out of the two, Banner’s MOOP is $4,650 less than Magellan, so there are some potential savings there.
All of these plans, including Scan Desert, are HMO plans. That’s short for “Health Management Organization,” and they typically offer fewer choices for doctors and facilities. But the advantage is that they cost less. Also, SNP HMOs are typically curated for special-needs beneficiaries to enhance the quality of care.
The average cost of Medicare Special Needs plans in Phoenix, 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 Phoenix
Signing up for supplemental Medicare in Phoenix, Arizona, is easier than ever. We work with the top Medicare Supplement providers in Phoenix and will get you free rate quotes in a matter of minutes. All you have to do is fill out a simple form to start!
