Yuma County at a glance
From CMS's public county-level Medicare file. The figure describes the county as a whole, not any one person's options.
Medicare in Yuma County (CMS data)
CMS counts 46,808 people in Yuma County as eligible for Medicare, and about 53% of them (24,879) are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (CMS, September 2026).
Yuma County's Medicare population
In CMS's September 2026 county file, a little over half of Yuma County's Medicare-eligible residents were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
The exact figure was about 53%. Everyone else gets Medicare another way, most often through Original Medicare, sometimes alongside other coverage. A county share is not a recommendation: what fits you depends on your doctors, prescriptions and where you get care, including care received outside the county.
If the two main paths are new to you, read what Medicare is for a plain-language overview of Parts A, B, C and D.
The local SHIP office for Yuma County
Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Arizona SHIP, works through regional offices. For questions about plan selection, the Arizona Department of Economic Security asks people to contact the SHIP and SMP office in the county where they live. For Yuma County, that is Area Agency on Aging, Region Four, at the Western Arizona Council of Governments, which also serves Mohave and La Paz counties.
SMP stands for Senior Medicare Patrol, which helps people with Medicare spot and report billing errors and possible fraud. The statewide Arizona SHIP line and Arizona's insurance regulator are on the Medicare in Arizona guide.
Medicare enrollment periods in Yuma County
Medicare's enrollment windows are set by federal rules, so they are the same in Yuma County as everywhere else. The 2026 Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period take effect January 1, 2027.
IEP
Initial Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period is your personal seven-month window around your 65th birthday. It opens three months before the month you turn 65 and closes three months after. This is when most people enroll in Medicare for the first time.
AEP
Annual Enrollment Period
The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During AEP, people with Medicare can enroll in, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. Changes made during AEP take effect on January 1 of the following year.
MA OEP
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31. During this window, people already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can make one change: to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or back to Original Medicare, with or without a Part D plan. The change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets the request.
SEP
Special Enrollment Periods
Special Enrollment Periods open when specific life events happen, such as losing employer coverage or moving to a new area. The timing depends on the event, and Medicare.gov explains the rules for each one.
Where to get Medicare help in Yuma County
These public programs are listed by official sources. Each one links to the page it came from.
Local SHIP office for Yuma County
The Arizona Department of Economic Security lists Area Agency on Aging, Region Four, at the Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG), as the local SHIP and SMP office for Mohave, La Paz and Yuma counties. Phone: (928) 377-4964 or (800) 782-1886.
Source: Arizona DES — Medicare Assistance, local SHIP and SMP offices
Medicare counseling (SHIP)
Arizona's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Arizona SHIP, offers in-depth, one-on-one counseling and assistance with Medicare. Phone: 1-800-432-4040. Its listing says: "Leave a message and we will return your call."
Source: SHIP TA Center (shiphelp.org)
State insurance consumer help
Arizona's insurance regulator is the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). Its website has a consumer information section and a way to file a complaint.
Source: Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions
How a licensed independent agent helps in Yuma County
A licensed independent insurance agent can explain how the parts of Medicare fit together, walk through the enrollment windows that apply to you, and review the plans the agent offers in Yuma County. The review is educational, and there is no obligation to enroll.
Counselors at a State Health Insurance Assistance Program do not sell insurance. An agent can help with an application, but can only discuss the plans that agent offers, which is why the plan-availability disclosure appears next to the request button on this page.
Before a review, it can help to read about the Annual Enrollment Period and the Special Enrollment Periods that open after certain life events. The Medicare in Arizona guide covers the statewide counseling program and consumer contacts.
Have questions? Review your options with a licensed agent.
Review your Medicare options in Yuma County
Answer a few questions and a licensed agent will follow up to walk through the plans they offer in your area. Educational, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
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FAQ
Medicare questions from Yuma County
Other county guides in Arizona
The same educational guide for other Arizona counties.
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Related reading
Medicare in Arizona
Enrollment periods, statewide counseling and consumer help in Arizona.
Read more
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
What the October 15 through December 7 window allows.
Read more
What is Medicare?
A plain-language beginner's guide.
Read more
Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
Life events that open a window outside AEP.
Read more