Low-Income Health Insurance in Arizona
You can get free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you earn a low income and live in Arizona.
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If you make too much money for Medicaid, you might be eligible for discounted coverage from the Arizona health exchange. Health insurance costs an average of $75 per month for Arizona residents who qualify for marketplace coverage after discounts, called subsidies.
Arizona Medicaid eligibility requirements
You can get Medicaid in Arizona if you earn less than about $21,000 per year (roughly $44,000 for a family of four).
Enrolling in Medicaid is the best way to get free health insurance in Arizona. Coverage is either free or heavily discounted depending on how you're eligible.
Medicaid income limits by family size in AZ
Family size | Monthly income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,735 |
| 2 | $2,345 |
| 3 | $2,954 |
| 4 | $3,564 |
| 5 | $4,173 |
| 6 | $4,783 |
Because Medicaid is a federal-state partnership, the program has different names in different states. In Arizona, Medicaid is called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
You may see Access Arizona used another name for Medicaid in this state.
There are a separate set of Medicaid income limits for children and their caretakers, pregnant women and people who qualify because of their age or a disability.
Other AZ Medicaid income limits
Medicaid program | Monthly limit |
|---|---|
| Medicaid for adults with children | $2,355 |
| Medicaid for children (age 0 to 1) | $3,265 |
| Medicaid for children (age 1 to 5) | $3,132 |
| Medicaid for children (age 6 to 18) | $2,954 |
| Medicaid for pregnant women | $3,465 |
| Medicaid if you have Social Security Insurance (SSI) | $967 |
| Medicaid for Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMBs) | $1,305 |
| People who are blind, aged or disabled | $1,305 |
| People in nursing homes or hospice care | $2,901 |
| Freedom to work program | $3,261 |
Medicaid for children only covers the child. Separate income limits apply to parents and caretakers.
In Arizona, you can't get Medicaid to pay for nursing home care unless you have $2,000 or less in investments, savings and property, called assets. One car, your house and your home furnishings don't typically count towards this limit.
- If you're married and you both need nursing home care, your asset limit doubles to $4,000.
- If you're married and only one spouse needs nursing home care, the other spouse can keep half of what you own up to $157,920. Your spouse can keep everything you own if you have $31,584 or less in assets.
With AHCCCS, you may be responsible for a small fixed cost, called a copay, when you go to the doctor or get a prescription filled.
Doctors aren't allowed to charge copays to everyone. For example, you won't have to pay any costs when you go to the doctor if you're under age 19, or you have a mental illness.
Copays are capped at $4 or less depending on the service, and certain types of care can't have copays, such as emergency services, family planning and hospital stays.
You'll never pay more than 5% of your household income on Medicaid copays.
Arizona's Medicaid program should automatically track your spending. But, you can contact AHCCCS directly if you think you've paid more than 5% of your income on copays in a single quarter.
Send your receipts and other proof of payment to:
AHCCCS 801 E. Jefferson Mail Drop 4600 Phoenix, Arizona 85034
KidsCare: Free health insurance for children in Arizona
Children and teens in Arizona under the age of 19 can get free or discounted government health insurance through KidsCare.
KidsCare is the name for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Arizona. CHIP was created to extend coverage to children who aren't eligible for Medicaid. A family of three can enroll their child in CHIP if they make about $5,000 per month or less.
KidsCare income limits by family size
Family size | Monthly income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,935 |
| 2 | $3,966 |
| 3 | $4,997 |
| 4 | $6,029 |
| 5 | $7,060 |
| 6 | $8,091 |
You may need to pay a monthly rate, called a health insurance premium, for KidsCare depending on how much money you make.
KidsCare monthly rate for a family of three by income and number of children
Monthly income | Rate (one child) | Rate (two or more children) |
|---|---|---|
| $0 to $3,332 | $10 | $15 |
| $3,332.01 to $3,887 | $40 | $60 |
| $3,887.01 to $4,997 | $50 | $70 |
Native Americans enrolled in a federally recognized tribe and some Alaska Natives do not have to pay a monthly rate for KidsCare. You need proof of tribal enrollment to get this benefit.
The Arizona health exchange
Two out of five Arizona residents with marketplace plans pay under $10 per month for coverage.
You can get income-based discounts, called subsidies or premium tax credits, when you buy health insurance through HealthCare.gov. You can get subsidies if you make about $60,000 per year (roughly $125,000 for a family of four), and you don't qualify for Medicaid.
The size of your discount depends on how much money you make: the less you earn, the bigger your discount.
These Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare, plans have to follow similar rules as workplace health insurance. That means you'll have coverage for the same 10 important services you'd get through an employer plan.
10 essential services all marketplace plans cover
- Doctor visits
- Preventive services
- Emergency care
- Hospital stays
- Prescription drugs
- Lab services
- Care for pregnant women and newborns
- Pediatric care
- Mental health and substance use care
- Rehab services
On the Arizona health exchange, you can choose between four different plan tiers.
These plans all cover the same services. Your monthly rate and what you pay when you go to the doctor are the only differences between plan tiers.
- Catastrophic plans: These plans have the cheapest monthly rates, but you'll pay more when you visit the doctor. Catastrophic plans almost never make sense because you'll have to pay nearly $10,000 before most services start. Also, you can't get subsidies with these plans. You can only buy a Catastrophic plan if you're under 30, or you can prove that you can't afford a more expensive plan.
- Bronze plans: These plans have cheap monthly rates, but you're responsible for a large portion of the bill when you go to the hospital. A Bronze plan may make sense if you're young and in good health.
- Silver plans: Have affordable rates and middle-of-the-road costs when you go to the doctor. Silver plans are a good choice for most people. Plus, you may be eligible for extra discounts that help pay for your hospital bills, called cost-sharing reductions, with a Silver plan. You can't get cost-sharing reductions with any other plan tier.
- Gold plans: Have the highest monthly costs, but you'll pay very little when you go to the doctor. A gold plan might make sense financially if you're in poor health, or you expect to visit the doctor often over the coming year.
When shopping for marketplace health insurance, it's important to consider the full cost you'll pay over the coming year. If you have an ongoing health problem, you should consider a more expensive plan with better coverage. That's because you'll pay less overall.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best health insurance for people who make a low income in Arizona?
Medicaid is the best health insurance if you earn a low income and live in Arizona. If you can't get Medicaid, consider a discounted marketplace health plan through HealthCare.gov.
What is the income limit for Access Health (Medicaid), AZ?
You can't get Access Health (Medicaid) in Arizona if you make more than about $21,000 per year as a single person (roughly $44,000 for a family of four). Pregnant women, children, those age 65 and up and people who have certain disabilities may be eligible for Medicaid with higher incomes.
How much does Obamacare cost in Arizona?
The average cost of health insurance in Arizona is $529 per month for a 40-year old with a Silver plan from Healthcare.gov. But, this falls to an average of $75 per month after discounts, and two in five people with marketplace coverage pay under $10 per month.
Sources
Sources include HealthCare.gov, KFF, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). Rate data for Arizona marketplace plans came from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
ValuePenguin used the CMS public use files (PUFs) in calculations to average rates across a variety of factors such as plan tier, county and family size.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.