What a move does to each kind of coverage
| Coverage | What happens when you move within Arizona |
|---|---|
| Original Medicare (Parts A and B) | Nothing changes. Any provider in the U.S. that accepts Medicare can treat you. |
| Medigap | Your policy keeps working. Tell the company your new address; your premium may change if the company prices by area. |
| Standalone Part D plan | Usually continues: Arizona's standalone drug plans are offered statewide. Check the pharmacy network near your new home. |
| Medicare Advantage plan | Continues only if the plan serves your new county. If not, you get a Special Enrollment Period. |
Medicare Advantage plans are approved county by county
Medicare Advantage plans choose which counties they serve, and their networks are local. A plan sold in Maricopa County may not be offered in Pima or Yavapai County, and a plan that serves both may have very different doctors and hospitals in each. CMS's 2027 data show 52 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Maricopa County, 52 in Pima County and 20 in Yavapai County.
A common Arizona example: moving from Phoenix to Tucson, Prescott or a smaller town to be near family. Before you move, look up whether your plan is offered at your new address, and whether the doctors you'll use there are in its network.
The moving Special Enrollment Period
- Your plan isn't offered in your new county: you can join a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, or return to Original Medicare. The window starts the month before you move if you tell your plan in advance (otherwise the month you tell it) and lasts two full months after the move. If you don't act, the plan must disenroll you, and you'll have Original Medicare.
- Your plan is offered there, but the move gives you new options: you can switch during the same kind of window.
- Medigap: if you leave a Medicare Advantage plan because you moved out of its service area, you have a federal right to buy certain Medigap policies without health questions, up to 63 days after your plan coverage ends.
Why Part D plans usually move with you
Standalone Part D plans are approved for regions, not counties. In CMS's 2027 Landscape file, Arizona is a single Part D region by itself, and each of Arizona's 9 standalone drug plans covers all counties. So moving from Flagstaff to Yuma doesn't end your drug plan. Drug coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan follows the Medicare Advantage rules above.
Moving checklist
- Update your address with Social Security at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
- Tell your Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap company your new address and moving date.
- If you have AHCCCS, report the move to AHCCCS through Health-e-Arizona Plus; your AHCCCS health plan choices can change with your new area.
- Check provider and pharmacy networks near your new home, and transfer your prescriptions.
A licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life can check which plans from the companies they work with are offered at your new Arizona address, at no cost to you, at (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711. You can also see plans in your ZIP code.
Related questions
When can I change my Medicare plan?
Yearly windows and Special Enrollment Periods.
Can snowbirds keep their Medicare plan?
Seasonal stays and the six-month rule.
Is Medigap guaranteed issue in Arizona?
Federal guaranteed-issue rights after a move.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods (moving)
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.62, election of coverage under an MA plan (change of residence)
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.74, disenrollment when you move out of the service area
- CMS — CY2027 Landscape file, November 2026 (Arizona PDP region 28, statewide drug plans; county plan counts)
- Medicare.gov — When can I buy Medigap? (guaranteed-issue rights)
- Social Security — my Social Security (change of address)
- Health-e-Arizona Plus — report changes to AHCCCS
Frequently asked questions
My Medicare Advantage plan isn't offered in my new Arizona county. What do I do?
You have a Special Enrollment Period. You can choose a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan starting the month before you move, if you tell your plan in advance, through two full months after you move. If you don't choose, the plan will disenroll you and you'll have Original Medicare.
My plan is offered in my new county. Do I need to do anything?
Tell the plan your new address, and check that your doctors and hospitals near your new home are in its network. If the move gives you new plan options, you can also use the moving Special Enrollment Period to switch.
Does my Part D plan change when I move from Phoenix to Tucson?
Usually not. In CMS's 2027 plan data, Arizona is its own Part D region and every standalone drug plan in Arizona covers all counties. Check that the plan has network pharmacies near your new home.
Who do I tell about my new address?
Social Security, which keeps Medicare's address records, plus your Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap company. If you have AHCCCS, report the move to AHCCCS too.
Medicare in your Arizona county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Apache · Cochise · Coconino · Gila · Graham · Greenlee · La Paz · Maricopa · Mohave · Navajo · Pima · Pinal · Santa Cruz · Yavapai · Yuma
