Oakland County, Michigan vs Maricopa County, Arizona

OLHSA's Water Affordability Program helps Oakland County households pay a past-due residential water bill, including reconnect fees, with up to $3,000. It can pay the full cost to stop a shutoff or turn water back on. Household income must be under 200% of the federal poverty level, or the household must get TANF, food assistance (SNAP), State Emergency Relief, Social Security income, weatherization help, or WIC. Call OLHSA at 248-209-2600 to set up an appointment.

MI Coordinated Health (MICH) replaced MI Health Link on January 1, 2026. It combines Medicare and most Medicaid benefits, including long-term services and supports, into one health plan with one card and a personal care coordinator, and no copays or deductibles for in-network services (some Medicare Part D drugs may have a copay). It is available only to people who live in Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, Macomb, St. Joseph, Van Buren, or Wayne County, or in the Upper Peninsula except Chippewa, Gogebic, and Menominee counties. You must be age 21 or older, have Medicare Parts A, B, and D plus full Medicaid, not live in a state veterans home, and not already be in hospice. Enroll any time by calling the plan you want, 1-800-MEDICARE, or the MMAP counseling line.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

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.

Estimated service value: $3,000–$20,000 a year

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.

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 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.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$600 a year

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.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$1,500 a year