Paying for assisted living in Arizona
Most Arizona families pay for assisted living out of pocket at first, usually drawing on savings, retirement income, the proceeds from selling a home, or a long-term care insurance policy. What you'll actually pay depends a great deal on where in the state you live and how much help your loved one needs day to day. The pricing tables below show current costs for communities in this area so you can compare options.
Private pay is rarely the only route, though. Arizona has a Medicaid long-term care program, and veterans' benefits or long-term care insurance can offset costs for some families. It helps to understand what each program does and does not cover before you commit to a community.
Does the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) cover assisted living in Arizona?
Arizona's Medicaid program is the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and its long-term care arm is the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS). ALTCS can help pay for the care and services a resident receives in an assisted living facility, but like all Medicaid programs it does not pay for room and board.
A few things to know:
- ALTCS only pays toward assisted living at communities that hold a contract with the program, so not every facility accepts it.
- To qualify, an applicant must meet both financial limits (income and assets) and a medical "nursing facility level of care" standard, determined through a needs assessment.
- ALTCS is an entitlement: if you meet the rules, there is no waiting list.
You can apply online through Health-e-Arizona Plus or with help from AHCCCS. The process generally takes around 45 days.
Does Medicare cover assisted living in Arizona?
Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for the ongoing custodial care (help with bathing, dressing, meals, and supervision) that defines assisted living. That is true in Arizona and everywhere else.
Medicare may still cover medically necessary services a resident receives while living there, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, short-term skilled nursing or rehabilitation after a qualifying hospital stay, and hospice care.
For free, unbiased help understanding what Medicare will and won't pay, contact Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which offers one-on-one Medicare counseling at no charge.
