Most or all of the out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance tied to Original Medicare can be covered with an Arizona Medicare supplement insurance plan. Up until 2020 all new Medicare enrollees could buy an F plan that covered everything but that is no longer the case. The federal government essentially outlawed F plans. The next best policy is the G plan. The only difference between F and G is that G plans require the policyholder to pay the Medicare Part B (doctor) annual deductible of $233 in 2022.
Private insurance companies such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona may choose which of 10 federally standardized plans to sell (A-N.) The best plan with the richest benefits is the G plan, and hands-down is the best plan to choose. It offers much greater access to care than other plans and only costs a few dollars more per month. No matter the insurance company all lettered plans must be identical… all C plans must be the same, all D plans the same, all G plans the same, etc.
Because of the federal standardizations of Medicare supplement plans this makes shopping fairly straight-forward. You are left with comparing insurance company reputation and price. In Arizona all the prices are basically the same, which leaves company reputation the only consideration when first enrolling in Medicare. Down the road after having a supplement policy a few years it may be worthwhile to comparison shop pricing, but if you go with a non-profit organization such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of AZ (BCBSAZ) you likely can and should keep the policy for life.
There is no annual open enrollment period with Arizona Medicare supplement plans (Medigap.) When an individual turns 65 they have a six-month guaranteed-issue window to enroll in a Medigap plan so long as they have enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. After the six-month window the insurer will medically underwrite the application to determine whether the applicant qualifies for coverage, and how much to charge. There are limited guaranteed-issue rights available for those past the six-month window (too many to list here, please call 602-405-8769.) Arizona insurers do not offer Medigap policies to those on Medicare due to a disability and under the age of 65, though Medicare Advantage plans are available. Once the disabled individual turns 65, they may enroll in a Medigap plan during the six-month open-enrollment window without having to answer medical questions.