Arizona Medicare

Some of the Arizona Medicare insurance carriers represented by MedicareSolutions.com are AARP/United Healthcare, Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Coventry, Health Net, and Humana.

Arizona has Medicare Cost Sharing (MCS) or Medicare Savings programs to help qualified individuals with Medicare insurance expenses. There is no limit on resources for these programs such as cash, bank accounts, stocks, or bonds. In order to be eligible for these programs, you must be eligible for Medicare Part A hospital insurance. Otherwise, eligibility is broken into specific categories and you may qualify for one of the following:

A Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) is someone whose monthly income is $867 or less for an individual and $1,167 for a couple. Benefits for these individuals include payment of Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance.

A Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) is someone who is receiving or is entitled to receive Medicare Part B and whose monthly income falls between $867.01 and $1040.00 for an individual, and $1,167.01 to $1,400 for a couple. The benefit for these individuals is payment of Medicare Part B premium.

Finally, a Qualified Individual (QI) is anyone whose monthly income falls between $1040.01 and $1,170 for an individual and between $1,400.01 and $1,575 for a couple. The QI benefit is payment of the Medicare Part B premium.

Additionally, Maricopa County has the SCAN Health Plan, which is a Special Needs Plan operating under a Medicare Advantage contract. To join SCAN Health Plan Arizona, you must be a resident of Maricopa County, Medicaid eligible, and Medicare Part A and B eligible.

Depending on what Medicare insurance plan you currently have, your premium and type of coverage could be changing, as of 20010. Even if you plan for Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Plan, or Medicare Supplemental insurance premiums are the lowest possible for 2009, they could possibly become one of the more expensive plans for Arizona residents, starting in 20010. However, you can avoid surprises like this by making sure you take the time to compare rates for 20010 and change plans if you need to do so during Open Enrollment Period, beginning November 15. You are not alone in such an important decision. It is especially during the time leading up to this period that our Medicare specialists at MedicareSolutions.com encourage you to consult them and find a plan that is best for you.