Where to Get Medicare Help in Arizona

For general Medicare questions, claims and coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). For enrolling in Parts A and B, replacing a card, Extra Help or premium questions, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. For unbiased counseling at no cost in Arizona, call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) through the Arizona Department of Economic Security at 1-800-432-4040. For help paying Medicare costs through AHCCCS, call 1-800-654-8713. For comparing and enrolling in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Part D plans, a licensed agent like Rise Up Benefits Group in Chandler can help. The full list, and what each office handles, is below.

Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE)

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, or visit Medicare.gov for general questions, claims and billing on Original Medicare, coverage questions, and information on every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan in your area. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. If you need another language, ask for an interpreter.

Medicare.gov also has Plan Finder, which compares every plan available in your ZIP code with your drugs and pharmacies.

If you are calling about a claim, have your Medicare card and the date of service ready. If someone is calling for you, Medicare needs your permission first; you can name a family member as an authorized representative so they can speak for you in the future.

Arizona SHIP and Senior Medicare Patrol

Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is run by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Aging and Adult Services. SHIP counselors provide unbiased Medicare counseling at no cost, by phone or in person, on coverage choices, Medicare Advantage and Part D questions, claims, billing and appeals, and programs for people with limited income.

The same helpline, 1-800-432-4040, also reaches the Arizona Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), which helps people spot and report Medicare fraud, errors and abuse. For plan-specific questions, DES directs people to the SHIP office in their county; in Maricopa County that is the Area Agency on Aging.

SHIP is a good first call if you want a neutral explanation of your rights, help with a billing problem or appeal, or someone to check your application for a Medicare Savings Program. Counselors do not sell insurance. Demand is high during the fall Annual Enrollment Period, so call early if you want an appointment before December 7.

Social Security and the Railroad Retirement Board

Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or ssa.gov for:

• Signing up for Part A and Part B, including late enrollment with forms CMS-40B and CMS-L564.
• Replacing a lost Medicare card.
• Applying for Extra Help with Part D costs.
• Questions about Part B premiums and IRMAA, including form SSA-44 if your income dropped.
• Updating your address or reporting a death.

AHCCCS: Arizona Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs

AHCCCS runs Arizona Medicaid and the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB and QI-1) that can pay your Part B premium and, with QMB, your Medicare cost-sharing. Apply online through Health-e-Arizona Plus or call AHCCCS at 602-417-4000 or 1-800-654-8713. Our Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs guide lists the 2026 income limits.

Other federal contacts

Appeals and quality-of-care complaints

If you think Medicare-covered services are ending too soon in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health agency, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility or hospice, you can ask for a fast appeal through a Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO). The notice you receive should include its contact information; 1-800-MEDICARE can also connect you.

For Medicare Advantage or Part D denials, start with the plan: your Evidence of Coverage explains how to ask for a coverage decision and how to appeal.

Getting the most out of any call

Keep a simple folder for Medicare: your cards, the yearly Annual Notice of Change, your Evidence of Coverage, enrollment confirmations, creditable coverage notices and any letters from Social Security or AHCCCS. When something goes wrong, that folder usually holds the answer.

• Have your Medicare card, your plan card and any letter you are calling about in front of you.
• Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and a reference number for the call.
• Ask the representative to repeat back what they will do and when you should hear back.
• If you are helping a parent, have them on the line or have permission set up in advance.
• Ask for anything important in writing, especially decisions about coverage or enrollment dates.
• If an answer does not sound right, it is fine to call back and ask again; a second representative may find what the first one missed.

Where a local licensed agent fits

Government offices explain the rules and handle enrollment in Parts A and B. A licensed insurance agent helps you compare and enroll in the private plans that sit on top: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Part D. Rise Up Benefits Group is an independent agency at 2160 N Alma School Road, Suite 102, in Chandler, serving Maricopa and Pinal counties. Owner Viola Lucero, CLTC, and her team focus on education first, so you know what you have, how to use it, and what it covers.

You can reach us at (480) 300-5776 or viola@riseupbenefitsgroup.com, attend one of our Medicare workshops online or in Chandler, or find the official CMS videos, the Medicare and You handbook and enrollment forms on our Resources page. We do not offer every plan available in your area; Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can give you information on all of your options.

Many families use both kinds of help: SHIP or Medicare.gov to understand the rules, and a local agent to compare specific plans, handle the application and be a familiar name to call when a bill or a network question comes up later in the year.

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The bottom line

Match the question to the office: Medicare for coverage and claims, Social Security for enrollment, cards, Extra Help and IRMAA, AHCCCS for help paying Medicare costs, Arizona SHIP for unbiased counseling, and the VA, TRICARE or RRB if those benefits apply. When you are ready to compare and choose plans, a local licensed agent can do the legwork with you. Save this page; it is the list people wish they had kept. If you are not sure who to call, start with us or with Arizona SHIP, and we will point you to the right office.