The Arizona SHIP program, Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, offers free counseling to people with Medicare, and its confidential helpline is 1 (800) 432-4040. If someone has told your family to "call SHIP," the program can help when you're comparing a parent's Medicare Advantage options and want advice from a program the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) says is not affiliated with the insurance industry. DES also lists a local Arizona SHIP and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) office by county, including offices for the Navajo Nation and for Tribal communities, so you can reach someone in your own region.

In This Guide

What Is the Arizona SHIP Program?

The Arizona SHIP program is Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which the Arizona Department of Economic Security describes as a free health benefits counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries. DES says its Division of Aging and Adult Services houses two programs to aid with Medicare: SHIP and the Senior Medicare Patrol. DES states the Arizona SHIP program's mission as empowering, educating and assisting Medicare-eligible individuals, their families and caregivers through objective outreach, counseling and training.

Independence matters most when an agent has already pitched a plan. Before you sign, you can take the same question to the Arizona SHIP program, which DES describes as an independent program federally funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). For how SHIP counselors and brokers are paid, see our comparison of SHIP counseling and Medicare brokers.

Arizona's program belongs to a national network. ACL says SHIP is a national program with offices across the country, and that depending on your area your local SHIP may go by another name while the support it provides is the same. Medicare's April 2026 guide Medicare Appeals defines a SHIP as a state program that gets money from the federal government to give free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare. For how the national program works and whether its counseling is truly independent, see our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

What Can an Arizona SHIP Counselor Help You With?

An Arizona SHIP counselor works through your own situation with you rather than handing you a brochure. DES says a SHIP counselor in your area can provide personalized, one-on-one support at no cost to help you understand your options. DES adds that Arizona SHIP counselors are trained to offer unbiased advice, assist with plan comparisons, and help you make informed decisions based on your healthcare needs.

Where you live changes the answer. DES cautions that not all types of Medicare Advantage plans are available in every Arizona county, so a plan type offered in one Arizona county may not be offered in the county where your parent lives. That's one reason DES points plan questions to the county offices listed in the next section.

The national list is wider than choosing a plan. ACL says SHIPs nationally help with understanding your choices, how to enroll, plan comparison, coverage and costs, paying for Medicare and prescriptions, troubleshooting billing issues, submitting appeals, Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7) and referral to other resources. ACL also says that, with your permission, a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf.

Two federal guides point people with Medicare to their SHIP for specific jobs:

  • Appeals: Medicare's Medicare Appeals guide tells people with Medicare to call their State Health Insurance Assistance Program for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. The steps of an appeal are in our guide to appealing a Medicare denial.
  • Medigap: Medicare's March 2026 guide Choosing a Medigap Policy says a SHIP can give free help with buying a Medigap policy. Arizona's own Medigap buying windows are covered in our Arizona Medigap guide.

Which Arizona SHIP Office Serves Your County?

DES's Local SHIP and SMP Offices list names eight Area Agency on Aging regions, each serving one or more Arizona counties or Tribal communities. For how these regional agencies work more broadly, see our guide to Area Agencies on Aging. The table below shows each Arizona SHIP and SMP office with the phone numbers exactly as DES lists them on its Medicare Assistance page.

Who it serves Office DES lists Phone DES lists
Maricopa County Area Agency on Aging, Region One (602) 280-1059 and (800) 432-4040
Pima County Pima Council on Aging (PCOA), Region Two Medicare Line: (520) 546-2011
Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo and Apache Counties Area Agency on Aging, Region Three, Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Show Low and Flagstaff offices: (877) 521-3500
Mohave, La Paz and Yuma Counties Area Agency on Aging, Region Four, Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG) (928) 377-4964 or (800) 782-1886
Pinal and Gila Counties Area Agency on Aging, Region Five, Central Arizona Aging (520) 836-2758 and (800) 293-9393
Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz Counties Area Agency on Aging, Region Six (520) 432-2528 extension 222
Navajo Nation Area Agency on Aging, Region Seven (928) 871-6797
Tribal communities in Arizona Area Agency on Aging, Region Eight, Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) (602) 258-4822, or SHIP Hotline (800) 432-4040 option #2

Two rows are easy to mix up. DES lists Navajo County under Region Three (NACOG) and lists the Navajo Nation separately under Region Seven, so check which row describes you before you call. DES describes the Region Eight office at the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona as benefits counseling for Tribal communities in Arizona.

If a regional line doesn't connect, the DES helpline at the top of this guide is a sensible place to start over. For a parent who lives in another state, ACL directs people to find their local SHIP at shiphelp.org.

When Should You Call Your County Office Instead of the Statewide Line?

DES draws the line clearly. In DES's words, "For questions regarding specific individual Medicare plan benefits or plan selection assistance, or to report suspected Medicare fraud, errors or abuse, individuals should contact the SHIP/SMP office in the county in which they reside." In practice, if your question names a plan (what it covers, whether to switch, which one fits a prescription list), the county office in the table above is where DES wants you to start.

The statewide helpline still has a job. DES lists the DES SHIP Program Office on the same page, so a first call when you aren't sure where a question belongs can go there. Here is a simple way to make either call count:

1
Step 1

Find your row in the county table

Pick the county where the person on Medicare lives, not where you live, since DES ties plan questions to the county of residence.

2
Step 2

Write the question down

Note the plan name, the letter or bill you're asking about, and the prescriptions the person takes, so the Arizona SHIP counselor can compare plans against real needs.

3
Step 3

Have the person on Medicare nearby

ACL says that, with your permission, a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf, so the beneficiary may need to be on the line to give that permission.

Can the Arizona SHIP Program Help You Pay for Medicare?

DES puts a cost-help note on the same Medicare Assistance page as the Arizona SHIP program. DES says that if you have Medicare and have limited income and resources, you may be able to get help paying for your Medicare monthly payment, and may also qualify for assistance with Medicare prescription drug costs, doctor and hospital visits. DES frames that as a possibility, not a promise, so the answer for your family depends on the program's own rules. If money is the real worry behind your call, say so at the start and ask the Arizona SHIP counselor which programs to look at.

This guide doesn't list income or asset limits. For those, see our Arizona Medicare Savings Programs guide, our national guides to Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help, and Medicare's own pages on Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help.

How Do You Report Medicare Fraud or a Billing Error in Arizona?

Arizona's Senior Medicare Patrol handles this side of the work. DES says the Senior Medicare Patrol's mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. DES describes Arizona SMP as professionally trained staff and volunteers who teach Medicare beneficiaries how to protect their personal information, identify and report errors on their health care statements, recognize scams, and report fraud and abuse to the proper authorities. DES also notes that there are SMPs in every state and many U.S. territories.

DES lays out a check you can do at the kitchen table:

1
Step 1

Compare the statement to your records

DES advises reviewing your Medicare Summary Notice or Medicare Part D Explanation of Benefits against your own records and receipts.

2
Step 2

Look for three things

DES says to look for charges for something you didn't get, billing for the same thing twice, and services that were not ordered by you or your doctor.

3
Step 3

Contact the provider or plan first

DES says that if you find suspicious or erroneous activity, you should contact your provider or plan.

4
Step 4

Then call Arizona SMP

If you aren't comfortable calling the provider or plan, or aren't satisfied with the answer, DES says to call the Arizona Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Helpline at 1-800-432-4040, the same number as the Arizona SHIP helpline.

Medicare's page on Reporting Medicare Fraud explains the federal reporting route. For warning signs and scam patterns, see our guide to protecting yourself from Medicare fraud.

How Can You Volunteer With the Arizona SHIP Program?

If you've spent years sorting out a parent's coverage, that experience can help other Arizona families. DES lists 1 (800) 432-4040, the same number as the Confidential SHIP Assistance Helpline, as the Volunteer for SHIP contact on its Medicare Assistance page. ACL says SHIP counselors nationally are members of their local community who have been screened, trained and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers.

Federal law sets a condition every SHIP volunteer has to meet. Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, a state's SHIP grant plan must provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing the counseling. ACL's conflict-of-interest resource says no person with a personal, philosophical or financial conflict of interest in connection with the work may serve as a SHIP or SMP volunteer, and gives one example of an inherent conflict: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans. ACL also says volunteers do not promote any personal or business interest while undertaking their SMP or SHIP assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Arizona SHIP program paid by insurance companies?

ACL says SHIP is supported through state and federal partnerships that are not reimbursed by private health insurance plans or entities, and that SHIP is not paid per enrollment. For a family, that means an Arizona SHIP counselor has no enrollment payment riding on which plan your parent picks.

Can I call Arizona SHIP about my parent's Medicare?

Yes. DES names families and caregivers, alongside Medicare-eligible individuals, in the Arizona SHIP program's mission, so an adult child can make the first call. Plan for your parent to be reachable, because ACL says a SHIP works with Medicare on a beneficiary's behalf with that person's permission.

Do I have to be new to Medicare to use Arizona SHIP?

No. ACL says SHIP isn't just for people new to Medicare, because needs and options may change over time. ACL recommends reviewing your Medicare plan every year during Open Enrollment, which makes a yearly Arizona SHIP call a reasonable habit.

Is Arizona SHIP the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

No, Arizona SHIP and 1-800-MEDICARE are separate lines. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and TTY (text telephone) users call 1-877-486-2048. CMS says to contact your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan first about a plan-specific issue, and to call 1-800-MEDICARE about Original Medicare or when the plan couldn't resolve it.

Where can I see which companies sell Medigap policies in Arizona?

The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) publishes a list of active insurance companies marketing Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies in Arizona and the plans they offer. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide tells readers to call their State Insurance Department with questions about the Medigap policies sold in their area, rights specific to their state, or any insurance-related problems.

Learn More

MedicareFree Medicare Counseling: What SHIP Is and Whether It's Really UnbiasedSHIP gives free Medicare counseling. Federal law requires its counselors to have no conflict of interest, and ACL bars licensed insurance agents. Find yours. MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in ArizonaMedicare in Arizona for 2026: Parts A and B costs, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, AHCCCS savings programs, and free SHIP counseling through AZ DES. MedicareMedigap in Arizona: When You Can Buy a Medicare Supplement Without Health QuestionsArizona Medicare Supplement (Medigap) guide: the six-month open enrollment window, under-65 rules, Arizona's early enrollment discount law, and free help. MedicaidArizona Medicare Savings Programs: Help Paying Medicare CostsArizona Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, no asset test, what each program pays, and how to apply through AHCCCS. MedicareSHIP Counselor vs. Medicare Broker: Who Actually Pays Each OneA SHIP counselor and a Medicare broker are both free to you, but one is paid by the government and one by the insurer. See who pays each and when to use which. Plan-compareMedicare Plan Finder

Find personalized help preparing for a free Arizona SHIP counseling call at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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