Arizona heat is a health risk, especially indoors
More than 4,320 people died from exposure to excessive heat in Arizona from 2014 to 2025, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. In Maricopa County alone, the county health department identified 430 heat-related deaths in 2025, and about 60% of them were people 50 or older.
Maricopa County's 2025 report also shows that heat doesn't only strike outdoors. Among indoor heat-related deaths, an air conditioner was present in 94% of cases, but in 72% of those the unit wasn't working. About 23% of indoor heat deaths happened in an RV, trailer or mobile home, though those make up only about 5% of the county's housing. For older Arizonans, a broken air conditioner or a power shutoff can be a medical emergency.
Heat stroke is an emergency. Confusion, a very high body temperature, hot skin, a racing pulse or fainting in the heat means call 911. Don't wait to check what your coverage pays.
What Medicare covers when heat makes you sick
| Care | Which part pays | What you pay with Original Medicare (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency room visit | Part B | 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the $283 Part B deductible, plus a hospital copayment |
| Ambulance, when other transport could endanger your health | Part B | 20% after the Part B deductible |
| Inpatient hospital stay | Part A | $1,736 deductible per benefit period, then no coinsurance for days 1 to 60 |
| Follow-up doctor visits | Part B | 20% after the Part B deductible |
If you are kept in the hospital but not formally admitted, you are an outpatient under "observation," and Part B rules apply instead of Part A. Ask the hospital which status you have. A Medigap policy can pay some or all of these deductibles and coinsurance; see Medigap in Arizona. Medicare Advantage plans must cover the same emergency and hospital care, with their own copays and a yearly in-network out-of-pocket limit of no more than $9,250 in 2026; see Medicare costs in 2026.
Medicare doesn't pay for air conditioners
Part B covers durable medical equipment (DME) that your doctor orders for use at home, such as oxygen equipment, CPAP machines, hospital beds, wheelchairs and nebulizers. It does not cover air conditioners. CMS's national coverage list for DME classifies air conditioners (and air cleaners) as environmental control equipment that isn't primarily medical, and it denies them for everyone, with or without a doctor's order.
That matters twice in Arizona: you can't get a cooling unit through Medicare, and the medical equipment Medicare does cover often needs electricity. If you use oxygen, a CPAP or a powered wheelchair, plan for outages: ask your supplier about backup batteries or tanks, and tell your utility (below).
Medications that raise heat risk
CDC guidance for clinicians lists many common medicines that can make it harder for the body to handle heat, by causing fluid loss, reducing sweating, or affecting heart rate or thirst. They include diuretics, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, some antidepressants and antipsychotics, anticholinergic drugs, lithium, some seizure medicines, stimulants, NSAIDs and thyroid medicine.
- Don't stop or change a medicine on your own. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before summer how to take it safely in the heat and what warning signs to watch for.
- Ask about a medication review. Every Part D plan, stand-alone or inside a Medicare Advantage plan, has a medication therapy management (MTM) program for members who meet criteria such as having several chronic conditions and taking several drugs. It includes a review of all your medications with a pharmacist or other professional. Call your plan to ask if you qualify.
- Store medicines properly. Many drugs, including insulin and inhalers, can be damaged by heat. Don't leave them in a car.
Keeping the power on
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) regulates investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives in Arizona. Its rules protect residential customers from disconnection for nonpayment during extreme heat. Each regulated utility chooses either a summer moratorium or a temperature-based rule that stops disconnections when the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures above 95°F. In 2026 APS, TEP and UNS Electric used the June 1 to October 15 moratorium; electric cooperatives follow their own Commission-approved tariffs.
- The bill doesn't stop. Charges keep adding up during the moratorium, and you still owe them afterward. Ask your utility about payment arrangements or budget billing early.
- Salt River Project (SRP), which serves much of the Phoenix area, is not regulated by the ACC and sets its own disconnection policy. Ask SRP what protections apply.
- Medical equipment at home. Ask your utility whether it has a program for customers who depend on electrically powered medical equipment, and how to register.
- Help with the bill. The Arizona Department of Economic Security takes applications for federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) help and state energy assistance. The ACC's June 2026 notice lists the DES application portal and phone line.
Cooling centers and help finding them
- Heat Relief Network (Maricopa County). The Maricopa Association of Governments publishes a map of cooling centers, respite centers and hydration stations each season, usually May 1 to September 30.
- Statewide. ADHS links to an Arizona cooling centers map on its heat safety page.
- 211 Arizona. Dial 211 to find cooling centers, utility help and other local services by phone.
- Area Agencies on Aging can connect older adults with local aging services; see Arizona Medicare contacts.
Home health care after a heat illness
If you are homebound and need part-time skilled nursing or therapy after a heat illness or hospital stay, Medicare covers home health care ordered by your doctor and provided by a Medicare-certified agency. With Original Medicare you pay nothing for covered home health services; durable medical equipment is 20%. Home health doesn't include around-the-clock care or help with housekeeping alone.
Leaving the hospital in summer
Before you are discharged in June, July or August, tell the discharge planner if your home is hot, your air conditioner isn't working, or you live alone. Ask about home health, how to get your medicines filled, and how you will get home. If you think you are being discharged too soon, the hospital must give you a notice called "An Important Message from Medicare," which explains how to ask for a fast appeal. See Medicare appeals in Arizona.
Medicare Advantage and extra benefits
Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't cover, such as dental, vision, hearing or fitness. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.
Emergency declarations and your Medicare plan
Hot weather alone doesn't change your enrollment options. Under 42 CFR 422.62(b)(18), if a federal, state or local government declares an emergency or major disaster in the area where you live, and the emergency kept you from making a plan change during another enrollment period you were eligible for, you get a Special Enrollment Period. It lasts until 2 full months after the emergency ends. See Medicare enrollment periods.
A summer checklist
- Have your air conditioner serviced before May, and know who to call if it fails.
- Review your medicines with your doctor or pharmacist, and ask your Part D plan about medication therapy management.
- If you use powered medical equipment, register with your utility and plan for backup power.
- Save 211 and your nearest cooling center, and arrange for someone to check on you daily during heat warnings.
- Know what your coverage pays for emergency and hospital care. For help reviewing it, call (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711 to reach a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life, or see plans in your ZIP code.
Sources
- Arizona Department of Health Services — Heat Safety (heat deaths 2014–2025, cooling centers map)
- Arizona Department of Health Services — Heat-Caused and Heat-Related Deaths in Arizona, 2014–2025
- Maricopa County Department of Public Health — 2025 Heat-Related Deaths Report (April 2026)
- Medicare.gov — Emergency department services
- Medicare.gov — Ambulance services
- Medicare.gov — Inpatient hospital care
- Medicare.gov — Home health services
- Medicare.gov — Medicare Coverage of Durable Medical Equipment and Other Devices
- CMS — National Coverage Determination 280.1, Durable Medical Equipment Reference List
- CDC — Heat and Medications: Guidance for Clinicians
- eCFR — 42 CFR 423.153, Drug utilization management and medication therapy management
- Arizona Corporation Commission — Summer utility disconnection moratorium and bill assistance (June 2, 2026)
- Maricopa Association of Governments — Heat Relief Network
- 211 Arizona
- eCFR — 42 CFR 422.62(b)(18), Special election period for an emergency or major disaster
- Medicare.gov — Getting care in a disaster or emergency
- Medicare.gov — Fast appeals
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare pay for an air conditioner if my doctor says I need one?
No. Original Medicare doesn't cover air conditioners, even with a doctor's order: CMS treats them as environmental equipment that is not primarily medical. Medicare does cover medically necessary durable medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines and hospital beds, which is one more reason to keep your power on in summer.
Does Medicare cover an ambulance for heat stroke?
Part B covers emergency ambulance transportation when you need care right away and traveling any other way could endanger your health, which is often the case with heat stroke. You generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). Call 911 in an emergency; don't wait to check coverage.
Can my electric company shut off my power in summer in Arizona?
For utilities the Arizona Corporation Commission regulates, the Commission's rules stop residential disconnections for nonpayment during summer: in 2026 APS, TEP and UNS Electric used a June 1 to October 15 moratorium. Your bill still adds up during that time. Salt River Project isn't regulated by the Commission and sets its own policy, so ask SRP directly.
Do I get a Special Enrollment Period because of an extreme heat emergency?
Only in specific cases. If a federal, state or local government declares an emergency or major disaster where you live, and it kept you from making a Medicare plan change during another enrollment period you were eligible for, you may get a Special Enrollment Period. Hot weather alone does not create one.
Which medicines make heat more dangerous?
Several common kinds can, according to CDC guidance, including diuretics (water pills), some blood pressure and heart medicines, some antidepressants and antipsychotics, anticholinergic drugs and lithium. Don't stop a medicine on your own: ask your doctor or pharmacist how to stay safe in summer, and whether your Part D plan's medication therapy management program can review your list.
