A Address Change

Revised 06/24/2025

Policy

A change in the address of a customer, a customer’s spouse, a parent of a minor customer, or a customer’s representative must be reported.

1) Customer’s Address Changes

A change in the customer’s address may affect a variety of factors depending on the program for which the customer is currently eligible. These factors must be reviewed and verified using the proper policy before the address change can be processed.

Customers who are in the custody of The Department of Child Safety (DCS) should have their living address listed as the DCS address when they are living with a foster parent. ALTCS cases require that the Foster Parent be listed as the Authorized Representative. See Application processes for children in the custody of the Department of Child Safety for more details.

 

When the address change is to...	Then the change may affect the customer’s...
Outside Arizona	Eligibility, when the customer is no longer an Arizona resident. AHCCCS Medical Assistance (MA) services when the person is temporarily out of the state. See MA531 for details on Arizona residency.
A different county	Eligibility, when there is a change in household members that affects the customer’s budget group. See MA1502N for more information. Enrollment with an AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC) plan or ALTCS health plan. Different health plans serve different counties. See MA1104 for more information about ALTCS Health Plans.
A jail, prison or other detention facility	Eligibility or enrollment. See MA1502V for specific policy on when a customer is incarcerated.
A long-term care living arrangement	Eligibility, enrollment or share of cost. See MA1502P for specific policy on when a customer’s living arrangement changes.

 

2) Spouse’s Address Changes

A change in a spouse’s address may affect the customer depending on the program for which the customer is currently eligible. The change must be reviewed and verified according to the proper policy before the address change can be processed.

If...	And the customer is eligible for...	Then the change may affect the customer’s...
The customer’s spouse moves into or out of the home.	All programs	Eligibility or customer costs. See MA1502N for specific policy on changes to household members.
The spouse moved to a nursing facility	ALTCS	Community spouse policy, which can no longer apply. The change could affect eligibility and share of cost (SOC).

NOTE     A change in the spouse’s mailing address without a change in the physical address has no effect on the customer. 

 

3) Parent’s Address Changes

A change in a parent’s address may affect a customer child’s eligibility or enrollment depending on the program for which the customer is currently eligible. The impact must be reviewed and verified according to the proper policy before the address change is processed.

NOTE     A change in the parent’s physical address may affect a customer child’s enrollment even when the customer does not move.

When the address change is to...	And the customer is eligible for...	Then the change may affect the customer’s...
Another state (permanently)	All programs	Eligibility, when the child is no longer an Arizona resident (MA531).
Another county	ALTCS Elderly and Physically Disabled (EPD)	Enrollment, as enrollment is based on the parent’s county of fiscal responsibility (MA1104E).
	DES Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) services	No effect on the customer’s enrollment.

NOTE     A change in the parent's mailing address without a change in the physical address has no effect on the customer child.

 

4) Other Household Member Address Changes

An address change for other household members may affect the customer’s eligibility, share of cost or premium amount:

When the representative is...	Then...
An adult child under age 22 or a tax dependent	Eligibility or customer costs. See MA1502N for specific policy on changes to household members.

 

5) Representative’s Address Changes

When the customer’s representative is NOT one of the family or household members listed in sections 2 through 4 above, an address change for the representative does not affect the customer’s eligibility, share of cost or premium amount.

For non-ALTCS applications, when the Authorized Representative has an international address, use the mailing address of the customer as a temporary address and submit a Policy Clarification Request (PCR) for a manual notice.

 

6) Offering Customers the Opportunity to Register to Vote

The National Voter Registration Act (NRVA) of 1993 (42 USC § 1973gg) and Arizona Revised Statute 16-140 require that public assistance offices provide customers with an opportunity to register to vote when a person reports a change of address.

See Offering Customers the Opportunity to Register to Vote for more information.

NOTE     When a customer has a non-traditional home address or is unable to receive mail at their residence because they do not have a valid address refer to MAP1302H.

 

Definitions

Term	Definition
Invalid address	An address that the post office cannot deliver mail to for a specific person. Non-delivery reasons may include, but are not limited to: Missing parts of the address.  It is a non-existent address. The person no longer lives there but there is no forwarding address on file with the post office. Someone other than the person reports the person no longer lives there. Contact with the residence or property owner by OIG verifies the person no longer lives there. The post office may return the mail as “undeliverable” or “no forwarding address” See Loss of Contact Processes
Tax dependent	A person who qualifies to be claimed as the customer’s dependent for tax purposes.

 

Proof

The proof required to process an address change depends on who provides the information:

When address change information is provided by the...	Then...
Customer; Customer’s spouse; or Customer’s representative, including a customer child’s parent	The person’s statement is accepted.
Anyone else	The customer or customer’s representative must be contacted to confirm the reported change.

 

Programs Affected

This applies to all programs.

 

Timeframes

Changes must be reported as soon as the future event becomes known. Unanticipated changes must be reported within 10 calendar days of the date the change occurred.

 

Legal Authority

Program	Legal Authorities
All Programs except KidsCare	42 CFR 435.403 42 CFR 435.916
KidsCare	42 CFR 457.320(d) 42 CFR 457.343