Medicare in Mississippi runs on federal rules, with one standout: the state's SLMB program covers income up to 135% of the federal poverty level, giving more residents access to Part B premium help.
In This Guide
- Key Takeaways
- Original Medicare: Parts A and B
- Medicare Advantage in Mississippi (Part C)
- Medicare Part D: Prescription Drugs
- Medigap in Mississippi
- Help Paying for Medicare in Mississippi
- Medicare Enrollment Periods
- Free Medicare Help: Mississippi SHIP
- Frequently Asked Questions
About these numbers: The premiums and deductibles below come from CMS for calendar year 2026, effective January 1. Medicare costs change every year. For the most current figures, contact Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE) or Mississippi SHIP at 1-800-421-2408.
Original Medicare: Parts A and B
Original Medicare is run directly by the federal government and comes in two parts. The mechanics and costs are identical in Mississippi and every other state.
Part A (Hospital Insurance)
Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, limited skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly premium | $0 for most people (40+ quarters of work history) |
| Hospital deductible | $1,736 per benefit period |
| Hospital coinsurance, days 61-90 | $434 per day |
| Lifetime reserve days | $868 per day |
| SNF coinsurance, days 21-100 | $217 per day |
The hospital deductible rose $60 from 2025. A benefit period starts the day you are admitted and ends 60 days after you leave. Get readmitted after that, and the deductible applies again.
Part B (Medical Insurance)
Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, durable medical equipment, and mental health care. It does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing.
- Monthly premium: $202.90 (higher if your 2024 income was above $109,000 single or $218,000 married, under the income-related adjustment)
- Annual deductible: $283
- After the deductible: you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most services
Part B is technically optional, but nearly everyone signs up. Delay past your enrollment window without other creditable coverage and you will owe a late penalty of 10% for every 12 months you could have had it, for as long as you keep Part B.
Medicare Advantage in Mississippi (Part C)
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare, sold by private insurers. They cover everything Parts A and B do, except hospice, which Original Medicare keeps covering. Most bundle in Part D drug coverage along with extras like dental, vision, and hearing.
Mississippi residents in the Jackson metro area and along the Gulf Coast (Biloxi and Gulfport) generally see the widest choice of plans. Rural areas in the Delta and Central Mississippi tend to have fewer options. Plan options, networks, and prices change every year and differ by county, so compare what is actually available at your address before you decide.
How These Plans Work
- You keep paying your Part B premium ($202.90) on top of any plan premium. The CMS estimate for the average Medicare Advantage premium in 2026 is about $14 a month, and many plans charge $0 extra.
- Plans run on networks (HMO or PPO). Confirm your doctors and hospitals are in-network before you enroll.
- Plans usually require prior authorization for certain services, which Original Medicare generally does not.
- Every plan caps your annual in-network out-of-pocket spending (federally limited to $9,250 in 2026; many plans set it lower). Original Medicare has no such cap.
Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare plans by ZIP code. Enter your doctors and prescriptions and it shows which plans cover them and your estimated cost. If you want help reading the results, a Mississippi SHIP counselor will go through them with you for free.
Medicare Part D: Prescription Drugs
Part D covers outpatient prescription drugs. You can get it as a standalone plan paired with Original Medicare, or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.
The Inflation Reduction Act eliminated the old coverage gap, the donut hole, so that higher-cost middle stage is gone. Part D now moves through three phases:
- Deductible: you pay full price until you meet your plan's deductible (up to $615 in 2026).
- Initial coverage: you pay copays or coinsurance while your plan and drug makers cover the rest.
- Catastrophic: once your out-of-pocket spending reaches $2,100, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
That $2,100 cap is the number that matters most in Part D. It was $2,000 in 2025 and rises with drug-spending growth. The average standalone Part D premium for 2026 is about $46.50 a month, though actual plan premiums vary widely. Every plan also has to offer the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs into capped monthly payments across the year instead of paying in full at the pharmacy. People who qualify for Extra Help often pay much less, sometimes nothing.
Not sure which Part D plan fits your prescriptions? Chat with Brevy's care navigator at brevy.com.
Medigap in Mississippi
Medigap policies are sold by private insurers to fill the gaps in Original Medicare: the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. They work only with Original Medicare, never with Medicare Advantage.
Mississippi offers the federally standardized plans, labeled A through N, including high-deductible Plan F and Plan G. Plans C and F are closed to anyone who became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2020. Plan G is the popular choice for people newly eligible: it covers the Part A deductible, Part A and Part B coinsurance, and skilled nursing coinsurance, leaving only the $283 Part B deductible on you.
Your strongest opening is the federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the six months that begin when you are 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window an insurer must sell you any plan at the standard rate regardless of your health. Outside it, Mississippi insurers may use medical underwriting, meaning they can review your health, charge more, or decline you.
Mississippi does not have a confirmed birthday rule or a state-law guarantee of Medigap access for beneficiaries under 65 who reach Medicare through disability. If you are under 65 and on Medicare, contact a Mississippi SHIP counselor to understand your current options in the market.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
You cannot hold both. Choose Medigap and you stay on Original Medicare with the freedom to see any provider who takes Medicare nationwide, at a higher monthly premium. Choose Medicare Advantage and you trade some of that freedom for a network and a lower upfront cost. For a side-by-side look at the trade-off, see our guide to Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage.
Help Paying for Medicare in Mississippi
If you are on a fixed income, two programs can cut your Medicare costs sharply.
Medicare Savings Programs
Mississippi runs its Medicare Savings Programs through the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. Mississippi's SLMB program covers income up to 135 percent of the federal poverty level (the same income ceiling as the federal QI program), so Mississippi residents who fall between the standard SLMB and QI income thresholds still qualify for Part B premium help without needing a separate QI program.
| Program | Income range | Individual | Couple | What it pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | At or below 100% FPL | Up to about $1,350 | Up to about $1,824 | Part A and B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance |
| SLMB | 100-135% FPL | Up to about $1,816 | Up to about $2,455 | Part B premium |
QMB is the most generous, covering your Part B premium plus your deductibles and coinsurance, and federal law bars providers from billing a QMB enrollee for that cost-sharing. For both programs the 2026 resource limit is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple. The income figures are tied to the Federal Poverty Level and update each April. You apply through the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at medicaid.ms.gov or by calling 1-800-421-2408, and enrolling automatically qualifies you for Extra Help.
Extra Help for Part D
Extra Help, also called the Low-Income Subsidy, pays Part D premiums, deductibles, and copays for people with limited income and resources. Since 2024 the partial-subsidy tier is gone, so everyone who qualifies now gets the full subsidy.
- Income limit (2026): up to about $1,995 a month for an individual, $2,705 for a couple
- Resource limits: $16,590 for an individual, $33,100 for a married couple
- If you qualify for QMB or SLMB, you are enrolled in Extra Help automatically
Apply through Social Security at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213.
Medicare Enrollment Periods
Miss a deadline and you can face coverage gaps or permanent penalties. These dates are federal and the same in Mississippi as everywhere else.
| Period | Dates | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Enrollment | 7 months around your 65th birthday | Sign up for Parts A, B, and D; pick MA or Medigap |
| Annual Open Enrollment | Oct 15 - Dec 7 | Switch MA plans, move between MA and Original Medicare, change Part D |
| MA Open Enrollment | Jan 1 - Mar 31 | Switch MA plans or drop MA for Original Medicare (if already in MA) |
| General Enrollment | Jan 1 - Mar 31 | Sign up for Part B if you missed your initial window |
| Medigap Open Enrollment | 6 months from age 65 + Part B | Buy any Medigap plan at the standard rate, no health screening |
Changes you make during Annual Open Enrollment take effect the following January 1. If you are already getting Social Security before 65, you are enrolled in Parts A and B automatically; if not, you sign up yourself through Social Security. If you work past 65 with employer coverage, you can delay Part B without penalty and have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period after that coverage ends.
Free Medicare Help: Mississippi SHIP
You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to pay a broker. Mississippi's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free, trained-counselor assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and their families. Mississippi SHIP is coordinated through the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and local aging agencies. Counselors give free and unbiased help and do not sell insurance.
A Mississippi SHIP counselor can help you:
- Understand your Medicare options and what each part covers
- Compare Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap plans side by side
- Apply for Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help
- Sort out claims, denials, and appeals
Call the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at 1-800-421-2408 to be connected to SHIP counseling and referred to local help, or visit medicaid.ms.gov for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most people pay $0 for Part A. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month with a $283 annual deductible. Part D premiums vary by plan (the 2026 average is about $46.50), and many Medicare Advantage plans charge no extra premium. Your total depends on the plan you pick and the care you use.
Mississippi's SLMB program covers income up to 135 percent of the federal poverty level, the same ceiling as the federal QI program. In most states, residents between 120% and 135% FPL must apply for a separate QI program. Mississippi combines these tiers into one SLMB program with the higher income ceiling, so more residents qualify for Part B premium help without navigating a separate application.
Apply through the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at medicaid.ms.gov or by calling 1-800-421-2408. You can also get help from a Mississippi SHIP counselor through the same number. Enrolling in a Medicare Savings Program automatically qualifies you for Extra Help with Part D.
Mississippi's SHIP counseling is coordinated through the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and local aging agencies, providing free one-on-one help from trained counselors who do not sell insurance. Reach SHIP by calling the Division of Medicaid at 1-800-421-2408 or visiting medicaid.ms.gov.
Plan availability varies by location. The Jackson metro and the Gulf Coast (Biloxi and Gulfport) tend to have the widest selection. Rural areas in the Mississippi Delta and Central Mississippi generally have fewer options. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to see what is available at your specific address.
Learn More
- Medicare: The National Guide
- Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
- How Medigap Works
- Medicare Part D Drug Coverage
- Medicare Savings Programs
- Medicare Enrollment Periods
Find personalized help with Medicare in Mississippi at brevy.com.
The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.