Are You Eligible for Medicare in Arizona?
Who qualifies for Medicare, when Part A is premium-free, how disability and kidney failure change the timing, and what Arizona residents need to have in place before they enroll.
You are generally eligible for Medicare at 65 if you are a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident who has lived here at least five years in a row. You get Part A without a premium if you or your spouse worked about 10 years (40 quarters) in jobs that paid Medicare taxes. You can also qualify before 65 if you have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months, or if you have End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. Living in Arizona does not change federal eligibility, but it does shape your options once you are in, so this guide covers both.
The three ways to qualify
Eligibility is federal. Your Medicare card, your Part A and Part B, and your enrollment rights are the same in Chandler as they are in Chicago. What differs by state is the private coverage you can add, such as Medigap rules and which Medicare Advantage plans are offered in your county.
- Age: you are 65 or older and a U.S. citizen, or a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. for at least five continuous years.
- Disability: you are under 65 and have received Social Security Disability Insurance or certain Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months. Medicare usually starts automatically in month 25.
- Specific conditions: End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure needing dialysis or a transplant) or ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). With ALS, Medicare begins the month disability benefits start.
When Part A is premium-free
You can get Part A at 65 without a premium if any of these apply:
- You already receive retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
- You are eligible for those benefits but have not filed for them yet.
- You or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.
Part B is almost always paid for
Part B has a premium for nearly everyone: $202.90 a month in 2026, or more with higher income (CMS, 2026). If you receive Social Security, Railroad Retirement or Civil Service retirement benefits, the premium is taken out of your check. If you do not receive any of those yet, Medicare bills you, usually every three months.
You can decline Part B in some situations, most commonly when you or your spouse are still working and covered by an employer group plan. Declining it without qualifying coverage can lead to a lifetime late penalty of 10 percent for each full 12 months you could have had Part B and did not.
Automatic enrollment versus signing up
| Your situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Already getting Social Security or RRB benefits before 65 | Enrolled in Parts A and B automatically; your card arrives about three months before your 65th birthday month |
| Under 65 with 24 months of disability benefits | Enrolled automatically, usually starting month 25 |
| Turning 65 and not yet collecting Social Security | You must sign up through Social Security, online at ssa.gov, by phone or in person |
| End-Stage Renal Disease | You must apply; timing depends on dialysis or transplant dates |
| Working past 65 with employer coverage | You choose when to take Part B; see our working past 65 guide |
Under 65 on Medicare in Arizona
If you qualify for Medicare through disability, your options for extra coverage are narrower in Arizona than in some states. According to the NAIC state chart (as of May 11, 2026), Arizona does not require insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people under 65. Some companies may choose to, but it is not guaranteed.
That is why many people under 65 in Maricopa and Pinal counties look closely at Medicare Advantage plans, and at Special Needs Plans if they also qualify for AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) or have certain chronic conditions. When you turn 65, you get a new Medigap Open Enrollment Period, so the options open up again.
What to have ready before you enroll
- Your Social Security number and your Medicare card, if it has already arrived.
- Details of any employer, retiree, COBRA, VA, TRICARE or CHAMPVA coverage you have now.
- If you delayed Part B because you were working, form CMS-40B (Application for Enrollment in Part B) and form CMS-L564 (Request for Employment Information) completed by your employer. Both are linked on our Resources page.
- A list of your doctors and your prescriptions with doses, so you can compare plans once you are eligible.
Moving to Arizona with Medicare
Plenty of people arrive in Chandler, Sun Lakes, Gilbert or San Tan Valley already on Medicare. Your Part A and Part B move with you; you only need to update your address with Social Security. What may not move with you is your private coverage.
If you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan from another state, it is usually tied to that state's service area. Moving to Arizona opens a Special Enrollment Period so you can choose a plan that serves Maricopa or Pinal County. Start looking before the move if you can, because the window is time-limited.
If you have a Medicare Supplement, most standardized Medigap policies keep working anywhere in the country, although the company may change your premium to reflect Arizona rates. If your policy is a Medicare SELECT plan that uses a network, or you want to change companies after you arrive, call us first. Arizona has no birthday rule, so a new application can involve health questions.
Snowbirds who split the year between Arizona and another state face the same question in reverse. A plan with a local network in the East Valley may not cover routine care back home, so compare plans with your travel pattern in mind.
Getting help in Chandler and the East Valley
Social Security handles enrollment in Parts A and B. Once you are eligible, Rise Up Benefits Group can help you understand your Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Part D options. Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, also offers unbiased counseling at 1-800-432-4040.
If you are a few years away, it is still worth checking your Social Security statement at ssa.gov to confirm your work credits. Finding a gap at 64 is far better than finding it at 65. The statement shows your Medicare earnings by year, so you can see whether you have reached 40 quarters and, if not, how many more you need. If a spouse's record would give you premium-free Part A, Social Security can confirm that when you apply.
The bottom line
If you are 65, a citizen or long-term permanent resident, and you or your spouse worked about 10 years, you almost certainly qualify for premium-free Part A and can buy Part B. The real questions are timing and what you add on top. Check whether you will be enrolled automatically, decide whether you need Part B now, and then compare your options for the rest.
Want to go through this with someone?
Viola Lucero and the Rise Up Benefits team in Chandler will go through your doctors, your prescriptions and your real numbers, and explain plainly what we found. We speak insurance, so you don't have to.
Prefer to learn in a group? See our Medicare workshops online or in Chandler, the events calendar, and official CMS videos and forms on our Resources page.
Sources
- 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- State Medigap rules: birthday rule and coverage under 65 (as of May 11, 2026), National Association of Insurance Commissioners
- Arizona DES Medicare Assistance: State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Arizona Department of Economic Security
Please note: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Rise Up Benefits Group is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.