Medicare 2026

Medicare Help in Prescott: SHIP and Licensed Agents

Sorting through Medicare in Prescott can feel like a full-time job. Between mailers, TV ads, and phone calls that pick up around your birthday, it's hard to know who is actually on your side. The good news: Prescott has free, unbiased help available — and it doesn't cost a thing to use it.

Start with SHIP — free, unbiased, and trained by the state

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federally funded program that offers free counseling to people with Medicare. In Arizona, it's run through the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Aging and Adult Services and is known as SHIP Arizona.

SHIP counselors are trained volunteers and staff. They don't sell insurance, they don't earn commissions, and they don't push any specific plan. They can help you:

• Understand the difference between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D.
• Compare drug coverage using the official Medicare Plan Finder.
• Review a plan's Summary of Benefits without a sales angle.
• Screen you for programs like Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program.
• Sort out billing questions or possible fraud.

To reach SHIP in Prescott, call SHIP Arizona at 1-800-432-4040 or visit des.az.gov and search "SHIP." You can also find your local counselor through shiphelp.org.

Local senior centers and the Area Agency on Aging

In the Prescott area, SHIP counseling often runs through the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Area Agency on Aging, which serves Yavapai County. They can help set up an appointment or point you to a nearby location.

The Prescott Public Library and area senior centers also sometimes host Medicare education events, especially in the fall before the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7). These sessions are educational, not sales meetings, but always ask before you go.

Licensed insurance agents: what they do and how they're paid

Licensed agents can also be a helpful resource, especially if you want someone to walk you through enrollment. But it's important to understand how they work.

• Agents must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions and appointed by the carriers whose plans they sell.
• "Independent" agents can quote plans from several carriers. "Captive" agents represent just one.
• Agents are paid a commission by the insurance company when you enroll — not by you directly.
• CMS requires agents to follow strict marketing rules, including a Scope of Appointment form you sign before discussing any Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

None of that makes agents bad. It just means their menu is limited to the plans they're contracted to sell. If you want a view of every option in Yavapai County — including plans no agent in your area may carry — the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare is the complete list.

What was available around Prescott in 2026

For context: Prescott is in Yavapai County, where CMS listed 31 Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, offered by 7 MA-PD carriers. There were no stand-alone Part D plans listed at the county level in that landscape data, so people who wanted drug coverage generally got it through a Medicare Advantage plan that included Part D. About 83,800 residents in the county are 65 or older, so demand for good, honest guidance is high. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

Star Ratings from CMS can help you understand how a contract has performed on things like customer service and drug safety, but they aren't a personal recommendation. A SHIP counselor can walk you through what those ratings actually measure.

A few program numbers worth knowing

These are program-level figures set by Medicare, not tied to any one plan:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit that, your covered drugs cost you nothing more for the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The old "donut hole" is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying all at once at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA (higher premiums for higher earners) starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan. 1 – March 31.

Red flags when someone is "helping" you

Whether you're talking to an agent, a call center, or a neighbor with strong opinions, watch for these signs:

• Pressure to enroll today or "before rates change."
• Anyone claiming to be from Medicare or the government (Medicare does not send agents door to door).
• Requests for your Medicare number over an unsolicited call.
• A promise that a specific plan will save you a specific amount of money.

If something feels off, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE or SHIP Arizona.