Oakland County, Michigan vs Maricopa County, Arizona

Michigan's caregiver services help family and informal caregivers care for an older adult for as long as possible. Through the Area Agencies on Aging, services may include adult day care, counseling, respite care, support groups, and training. Grandparents and older relatives raising children can also get help. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to see what is available and whether you qualify.

AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services (Area Agency on Aging 1-B) serves older adults in Oakland County. Services include home-delivered and congregate meals, in-home and personal care, caregiver support, Medicare/Medicaid counseling (MMAP), long-term care options counseling, and help applying for the MI Choice waiver. Older adults age 60 and over, and adults with disabilities, can call 1-800-852-7795 to ask what help is available.

$1,500–$6,000/yr

The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund gives one-time emergency grants to veterans facing a temporary, unexpected financial hardship — most grants go toward rent, mortgage, utility bills, and home repairs. A veteran with at least 180 days of active wartime-era service and an honorable discharge may qualify, and the veteran's spouse may also be eligible. Since December 2021, peacetime-era veterans age 65 and older can apply through the 65+ Peacetime Program — important for seniors who served between wars. Applications go to the MVTF committee in the county where the veteran lives, which decides each case individually. Call 1-800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838) to reach the local committee.

The Home Heating Credit is a refundable Michigan income-tax credit that helps low-income households — including seniors — pay home heating costs. For the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) the standard-allowance income ceiling is $17,243 for a household claiming 0 or 1 exemption and rises with each additional exemption ($23,271 for 2, $29,329 for 3, $35,385 for 4, $41,443 for 5, $47,471 for 6, plus $6,057 for each exemption over 6). You can claim it even if you do not owe income tax. File Form MI-1040CR-7 by September 30, 2026.

$100–$600/yr

State Emergency Relief (SER) pays heat and electric bills, deposits, and reconnection fees for Michigan households in an energy crisis, using federal LIHEAP funds. The Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) adds bill-payment help plus support to keep service on. Eligibility is based on household income (at or below the LIHEAP limit, set at 60% of the State Median Income — about $70,225/year for a household of four), with no income copayment for energy services. Crisis applications get a response within 48 hours. Apply through MI Bridges or a local MDHHS office.

$175–$1,200/yr

Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA), the Community Action Agency for Oakland County, helps income-eligible households with electric, natural gas, and deliverable-fuel bills and shutoff protection. Apply for state energy help through MI Bridges, dial 211 for local referrals, or call OLHSA at 248-209-2600.

$200–$1,500/yr

Michigan Medicaid for people who are age 65+, blind, or disabled. The AD-Care pathway gives full Medicaid coverage with net income at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (about $1,325/month for one person, $1,783/month for two, before the $20 income disregard). The countable asset limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for two (effective January 1, 2026). People over the income limit may still qualify through Group 2 ABD with a spend-down (deductible). Apply through MI Bridges or a local MDHHS office.

$4,000–$30,000/yr

MI Health Link combines Medicare and Medicaid into one plan for people who have both, with no copays or deductibles for in-network services and a personal care coordinator. It is available only to people who live in southwest Michigan (Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties), Macomb County, Wayne County, or any county in the Upper Peninsula. You must be age 21 or older, have full Medicare and full Medicaid, and not be in hospice. Michigan ENROLLS sends a letter explaining how to enroll.

Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), long known as MMAP (the Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program), gives free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Trained counselors help compare Medicare plans, enroll in Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help, sort out bills and Medicare Summary Notices, and file appeals — at no charge, and without selling anything. Call 1-800-803-7174 to reach a local counselor.

Corewell Health East hospitals in Oakland County (including Royal Oak and Troy) offer financial assistance for emergency and medically necessary care. Free care is available for Michigan residents with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, with sliding-scale discounts up to 400%. Ask any financial counselor or call 1-877-687-7309 to apply.

The Home Help program pays for personal care for Medicaid-eligible adults who need hands-on help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, mobility, and toileting, so they can stay in their own home. An MDHHS Adult Services worker visits to assess what help is needed. Unlike the MI Choice waiver, Home Help has no waiting list — if you are Medicaid-eligible and meet the functional need, services are provided. Apply through your local MDHHS office.

$3,000–$20,000/yr

In-home services for veterans using a self-directed model: the veteran has a say in who provides the care and how it is delivered. Standard supports can include a care assessment, ongoing case management, help with personal care and homemaking, a personal emergency response system, transportation, and fiscal-intermediary services that handle paying the workers. AgeWays receives referrals from the Detroit and Ann Arbor VA Medical Centers; veterans interested in VDC should ask their VA care team for a referral. AgeWays: (800) 852-7795.

MI Choice is Michigan's Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver. It pays for supports such as personal care, supports coordination, home modifications, and respite so older or disabled adults who would otherwise need nursing-home care can stay in their own home. Applicants must need a nursing-facility level of care and have gross income at or below 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate (about $2,982/month in 2026). The countable asset limit is $9,950 for one person, $14,910 for two. Contact the MI Choice Waiver Agency for your region to apply; a waitlist may apply.

$10,000–$60,000/yr

PACE provides all the medical and supportive care a frail older adult needs to keep living in the community instead of a nursing home — doctors, prescriptions, therapy, adult day care, transportation, and in-home help — coordinated by one team and usually at no cost to people with Medicaid. To join you must be 55 or older, need a nursing-home level of care, be able to live safely in the community, and live in a PACE organization's service area. Michigan has PACE centers across the state.

$10,000–$80,000/yr

Michigan operates three state veteran homes — in Grand Rapids, Chesterfield Township, and Marquette (D.J. Jacobetti) — providing skilled nursing care and short-term rehabilitation for veterans. A veteran eligible for VA health care or VA financial assistance for long-term care may be admitted with an honorable discharge. Subject to space, a spouse, surviving spouse, or Gold Star parent of an eligible veteran may also be admitted. Costs depend on VA benefits, insurance, and a financial assessment; VA per-diem support keeps rates below typical private nursing homes. Apply directly to the chosen home with the discharge paperwork.

Medicare Savings Programs help people with Medicare pay their Part B premium, and (for the QMB level) also deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Michigan has three levels — QMB, SLMB, and ALMB/QI — with rising income limits. In 2026 the highest level (QI) reaches about $1,816/month for one person and $2,455/month for a couple; the asset limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple. Apply through MI Bridges or a local MDHHS office.

$2,100–$8,000/yr

Senior Project FRESH / Market FRESH gives Michigan residents age 60 or older $25 in benefits to spend on fresh fruits, vegetables, and honey at participating farmers' markets and roadside stands, plus free nutrition education. Income must be at or below $28,952.50/year for one person or $39,127.50 for a couple. Members of a Michigan federally recognized tribe qualify at age 55+. The 2026 season runs May 1 through October 31; benefits are used in the county where you live.

$25/yr

Michigan resident veterans who are 100% permanently and totally disabled from military service — or rated individually unemployable by the VA — receive DNR hunting and fishing licenses at no cost. The benefit covers all regular (non-lottery) hunting and fishing licenses, so an all-species fishing license or a deer license costs nothing. Carry VA documentation of the qualifying status when buying licenses and while hunting or fishing. Licenses renew each license year with the same proof.

Accredited veteran service officers across Michigan help veterans, spouses, and survivors file and appeal VA claims — disability compensation, pension, Aid and Attendance, and survivor benefits — at no cost. Getting the VA rating right matters twice in Michigan: the rating drives federal compensation AND unlocks state benefits like the full property-tax exemption and free hunting and fishing licenses. The Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center connects callers to a service officer and can help track down discharge documents. All services are free and confidential — no one needs to pay a private company to file a VA claim. Call 1-800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838), weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Michigan fully exempts the homestead of a qualifying disabled veteran from property taxes — the entire tax bill on the home goes away. The veteran must be permanently and totally disabled from military service and entitled to VA benefits at the 100% rate, rated individually unemployable by the VA, or have received VA assistance for specially adapted housing. An unremarried surviving spouse keeps the exemption, even on a new home bought after the veteran's death. File Form 5107 with the local city or township assessor along with VA paperwork showing the qualifying status. Since the 2025 tax year, an approved exemption stays in place without refiling each year unless it is rescinded. For a home bought during the year, send the closing documents with Form 5107 — without them, the first year's exemption is prorated by the days the home was owned and lived in.

$2,000–$5,200/yr

The Homestead Property Tax Credit refunds part of the property tax (or rent) Michigan homeowners and renters pay, with more generous treatment for seniors age 65+. For the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) you may claim it if your total household resources are $71,500 or less and your home's taxable value is $165,400 or less. The maximum credit is $1,900. Seniors recover a higher share of their property tax — up to 100% for the lowest-income seniors. File Form MI-1040CR.

$100–$1,900/yr

SMART runs fixed-route buses and the curb-to-curb SMART Connector across suburban Oakland County. Riders age 65 and over, people with disabilities, and Medicare card holders qualify for reduced fares with a SMART Reduced Fare ID. Apply for the ID and plan a trip by calling SMART at 1-866-962-5515.

$200–$1,200/yr

This program helps family and unpaid caregivers with information, help getting services, individual counseling, support groups, caregiver training, respite care, and limited supplemental services. It serves caregivers age 18+ caring for someone 60 or older (or any age with Alzheimer's/dementia), and older relatives age 55+ raising children or caring for an adult with a disability. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or the Arizona Caregiver Resource Line.

The Area Agency on Aging, Region One is the federally designated agency that plans and funds Older Americans Act services for Maricopa County adults age 60 and older, their family caregivers, and adults with disabilities. Covered communities include Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Chandler, and the large retirement communities of Sun City and Sun City West. Services include case management, home-delivered and congregate meals, homemaking and personal care, family caregiver support and respite, and free Medicare and benefits counseling. Reach the 24-hour Senior HELP LINE at 602-264-4357 or the main line at 1-888-783-7500 to start.

$1,200–$6,000/yr

The Military Family Relief Fund helps Arizona service members, veterans, and their families through financial hardship caused by the service member's military service — up to $20,000 per family, based on need. There are two parts: a post-9/11 fund and a pre-9/11 fund, so veterans of Vietnam, Korea, and other earlier eras can apply too. The core requirement is that the service member was deceased, wounded, injured, or became seriously ill in connection with service, has an Arizona connection (deployed from an Arizona base, Arizona home of record, Arizona National Guard, or established residency), and has lived in Arizona for at least the 12 months before applying. Help can include living expenses such as mortgage, rent, and utilities. An advisory committee reviews each application.

$500–$20,000/yr

LIHEAP helps Arizona households pay heating and cooling utility bills and handle energy emergencies. Eligibility is based on income at or below 60% of the State Median Income — in federal fiscal year 2026 that is about $33,690/year for one person, $44,056 for two, $54,422 for three, and $64,789 for a household of four (higher for larger households). Households already getting SNAP or cash assistance are automatically income-eligible. Apply through your local Community Action Agency.

$200–$1,500/yr

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps Maricopa County households with limited income pay electric and gas bills, with extra crisis help to prevent shutoffs during Arizona's dangerous summer heat. Outside the cities of Glendale, Mesa, and Phoenix, the county's Human Services Department delivers LIHEAP through Community Action Program (CAP) offices; residents of those three cities apply through their city program. Apply online through the Human Services client portal or through a local Community Action office; 2-1-1 Arizona can route callers to the nearest site. LIHEAP service line: 1-866-494-1981.

$200–$1,140/yr

AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid program. The SSI-MAO pathway covers people who are age 65 or older, blind, or have a disability, with income at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level ($1,330/month for one person, $1,804 for a couple, as of February 2026). There is no separate asset test listed for SSI-MAO on the AHCCCS eligibility chart, and there is no premium. Coverage is delivered through an AHCCCS managed-care health plan. Apply at Health-e-Arizona Plus.

$4,000–$30,000/yr

Arizona's SHIP gives free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Trained counselors help compare Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, and Medigap, and help enroll in programs that lower Medicare costs (Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Program). Counselors do not sell or endorse any plan. Call 1-800-432-4040.

Valleywise Health is the public safety-net hospital system for Maricopa County, run by the county Special Health Care District. Its financial assistance program lowers or eliminates hospital bills for uninsured and low-income patients based on household size and income relative to the Federal Poverty Level, with a sliding discount for higher incomes. Patients in the Phoenix metro also have financial-assistance options at Banner Health (bannerhealth.com), HonorHealth (honorhealth.com), and Dignity Health / CommonSpirit St. Joseph's (dignityhealth.org); Valleywise is highlighted here as the county's safety-net provider. Call Eligibility Specialists at 602-344-2550 to apply.

Arizona's aging network provides non-Medicaid in-home and community support for residents age 60 and older — personal care, homemaker help, home-delivered and congregate meals, case management, assisted transportation, and caregiver support — so older adults can stay in their own home. Area Agency on Aging case managers determine eligibility. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging.

ALTCS is Arizona's Medicaid long-term-care program. It pays for nursing-facility care and home & community-based services (personal care, home care, adult day care) for people who need a nursing-home level of care, so many can stay in their own home. You must need that level of care, have income at or below 300% of the SSI benefit rate ($2,982/month in 2026), and have countable resources of $2,000 or less. Apply through the ALTCS office or Health-e-Arizona Plus.

$10,000–$80,000/yr

Arizona runs four State Veteran Homes providing skilled nursing care for veterans and their spouses: Phoenix (104 beds), Tucson (120 beds, with a 30-bed memory care unit), Flagstaff (80 beds, with memory care and a Medicare rehab unit), and Yuma (80 beds, with a 20-bed memory care unit). The homes are state-owned and Medicare-certified, and the memory care units serve residents with Alzheimer's or other dementia. Admission is open to an honorably-separated veteran or the spouse of a veteran who needs skilled nursing care as determined by a physician. Residents pay a daily rate, and VA benefits can offset the cost — an ADVS Veteran Benefits Counselor works in each home and can help sort out what the VA will cover.

Medicare Savings Programs help people with Medicare pay their Part B premium, and (at the QMB level) also deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Arizona has three levels — QMB, SLMB, and QI-1 — with rising income limits. In 2026 the highest level (QI-1) reaches about $1,796/month for one person and $2,435/month for a couple. Arizona applies NO asset/resource test to these programs. Apply at Health-e-Arizona Plus.

$2,100–$8,000/yr

This program gives Arizona residents age 60 or older a $50 coupon (once a year) to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs from participating farmers. Household income must be at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (about $2,461/month for one person, $3,337 for two), or you can qualify by being in the Commodity Senior Food Program. Coupons are first-come, first-served and mailed to eligible seniors. Apply through the Arizona Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

$50/yr

Arizona's Veteran Benefits Counselors give free help to veterans, their dependents, and survivors with federal and state benefits — preparing and filing VA disability compensation and pension claims, appealing VA decisions, representing claimants at VA hearings, filing survivor benefits, requesting military records, and certifying DD-214 discharge paperwork. All counselors are accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Getting the VA rating right matters twice in Arizona: the rating drives federal compensation AND the state property tax exemption, which is prorated by the disability percentage. Counselors work in person, by phone, or virtually across Arizona, including at the State Veteran Homes in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma. No one needs to pay a private company to file a VA claim.

Arizona law gives a free hunting and fishing license to a veteran who receives U.S. government compensation for a permanent service-connected disability rated 100% disabling. The complimentary license carries the privileges of a combination hunting and fishing license. The veteran must have lived in Arizona for at least one year before applying. When the VA letter shows the 100% rating is permanent and will not be re-evaluated, the license is issued for the holder's lifetime — otherwise it is valid for three years at a time. Apply through the Arizona Game and Fish Department with a copy of the VA benefits letter.

Arizona operates three state veterans' cemeteries: the Arizona Veterans' Memorial Cemetery at Camp Navajo in Bellemont (near Flagstaff), the Arizona Veterans' Memorial Cemetery at Marana (near Tucson), and the Southern Arizona Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista. Burial for an eligible veteran includes the gravesite, opening and closing, a concrete liner for casket burials, a government marker, and perpetual care at no cost. Spouses, un-remarried widows and widowers, minor children, and in some cases unmarried adult dependent children may also be buried there — and an eligible spouse may be buried even if they pass away before the veteran. Options include in-ground casket burial, in-ground urn burial, and columbarium placement. Applying ahead of need settles the eligibility paperwork in advance and spares the family that step later.

Arizona reduces property taxes for veterans with a VA disability rating. For 2026 the exemption is $4,873 of assessed value, multiplied by the disability percentage — a 50% rating exempts about $2,437 of assessed value, and both service-connected and non-service-connected VA ratings count. New for tax year 2026: a veteran rated 100% service-connected has the home fully exempt from property tax, even if the property is jointly owned, and the surviving spouse keeps that full exemption while living in the home and unmarried. Household income for the prior year must be $39,865 or less ($47,826 with a minor or disabled child at home) — but Social Security and VA payments do not count toward that limit, so many retirees qualify on paper income that looks higher. Apply with the county assessor between early January and March 1, with the VA letter showing the rating.

$40–$2,000/yr

This is a refundable Arizona income-tax credit (up to $502) for low-income residents who are 65 or older, or who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). It helps with property tax OR rent paid on your main Arizona home — so renters can claim it too. You must have lived in Arizona all year and have very low household income (as defined for this credit). File Form 140PTC by April 15.

up to $502/yr

Arizona gives a property-tax exemption (reducing assessed value by $4,873 for 2026) to widows, widowers, and people with a total and permanent disability who own a home in Arizona. Household income from all sources must be $39,865 or less (or $47,826 with minor children or a disabled dependent), and the total assessed value of your Arizona property must be $36,454 or less. Apply to your county assessor between the first Monday in January and March 1.

$100–$600/yr

This program freezes the taxable (limited) value of the home for Arizona homeowners age 65 or older, so that value can't rise while you qualify. To qualify, at least one owner must be 65+, you must have owned and lived in the home for the prior two years as your primary residence, and your 3-year-average total income from all sources must be $47,712 or less (one owner) or $59,640 or less (two or more owners). Apply to your county assessor on Form 82104 by September 1.

$100–$1,500/yr

Valley Metro operates buses and light rail across the Phoenix metro area and offers a Reduced Fare program for riders age 65 and older, Medicare cardholders, and people with disabilities — roughly half of the standard fare with a Reduced Fare ID card. Riders who cannot use fixed-route service due to a disability can use city Dial-a-Ride ADA paratransit and the RideChoice program, which books trips through taxis and rideshare partners. Serves Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, and surrounding cities. Call 602-716-2100 for paratransit or apply for a Reduced Fare ID card online.

$200–$1,200/yr