Medicare Plans by State (2026): What Varies & What Doesn't

Searching Medicare plans by state? Start with the part that surprises people: Original Medicare doesn't change when you cross a state line. Parts A and B are a federal program, with the same benefits, costs, and rules in all 50 states.1 What actually varies is the private layer you add on top: Medicare Advantage plans, Part D drug plans, and Medigap. This guide shows you exactly what changes by state, then sends you straight to your state's full Medicare guide.

In This Guide

• What's the Same Everywhere
• Which Medicare Plans Vary by State
• Find Your State's Medicare Plans
• States With a Dedicated Medigap Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

What's the Same Everywhere

Original Medicare is federal law. It does not vary by state. Get that straight first and the rest is simple.

The costs are national figures. In 2026 the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month, the Part B deductible is $283, and the Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period.1 Those Part B and Part A figures are identical whether you live in Texas or Vermont.

The deadlines are national too. Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7-month window around your 65th birthday. Fall Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 every year, in every state.2 Moving to a new state does not reset or change these dates, though a move may let you change your Advantage or Part D coverage outside them, through a Special Enrollment Period.2

So if you have Original Medicare and nothing else, your coverage travels with you. Any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare treats you the same.

Which Medicare Plans Vary by State

The variation is in the private plans you add on top. Four things change by where you live.

Medicare Advantage plans and networks. You can join an Advantage plan only if you live in its service area, so the plans open to you depend on where you live.3 Most plans, especially HMOs, generally require you to use doctors and hospitals in their network except for emergency care, out-of-area urgent care, and temporary out-of-area dialysis, so check that yours are in it before you join.7 A plan a friend in another area swears by may not be open to you at all.

Part D drug plans. Each Part D plan decides which drugs it covers and which cost tier they sit on, so the same drug can cost a different amount from one plan to the next.8 Medicare Plan Finder shows the drug plans offered in your area.4 The 2026 Part D national base premium is $38.99 a month, the figure Medicare uses to work out the late-enrollment penalty.9 The premium you actually pay is set by the plan's private insurer and varies by plan.1 Compare plans against your own medication list.

Medigap standardization. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) is standardized. In most states it's sold as lettered plans A-D, F, G, and K-N, where every Plan G is the same benefits no matter the insurer. Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer sold, though anyone who already holds one can generally keep it. But Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their plans their own way.5 If you live in one of those three, the lettered-plan comparisons you read elsewhere don't apply.

Medigap switching rights. This is the biggest state-to-state difference for a Medigap buyer. Federally, you get one guaranteed window to buy any Medigap plan without medical underwriting: the 6 months starting the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It doesn't repeat. Outside it, an insurer can turn you down if you don't meet its medical underwriting, and you may have to pay more, unless you're in one of the specific situations where federal law gives you a guaranteed-issue right or your state's own law gives you more.10,11 But a growing group of states have added annual switching rights on top, often called "birthday rules." States including California, Nevada, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Delaware, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington now let you change Medigap policies at least once a year without medical underwriting or a health screening (Washington's right runs year-round), though the window, which plans you can switch to, and who qualifies at all differ by state. Illinois limits its rule to ages 65 through 75, and Indiana to 65 and older, so an older or younger policyholder in those states is outside it. West Virginia, whose rule is new as of June 1, 2026, sets a different kind of limit: you can use it only if you have held your current policy for at least 24 months, and each replacement restarts that clock, so the window is annual on paper but usable at most every other year, and the new policy generally has to come from your own insurer or an affiliate. If you are under 65 and on Medicare because of a disability, check the terms rather than the headline: Oklahoma's rule reaches you, but carriers there need only offer one of the ten standardized plans to disability enrollees, so the choice can be much narrower than it looks.6 If your state isn't on that list, check with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) before you assume you can switch.

Advantage and Part D plans also change from year to year, not just from place to place. If you're in one, your plan sends you an Annual Notice of Change each fall listing the changes in coverage and costs that take effect in January, and if it doesn't arrive, contact your plan.12 Medicare's yearly review for 2027 coverage tells you to read that notice, then compare plans side by side on Medicare Plan Finder.4 Fall Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, is the time each year to make changes to your coverage.2

Every state also has a SHIP that gives free, personalized, unbiased Medicare counseling.13,14 Your state's guide below names yours.

Find Your State's Medicare Plans

Don't try to learn all 50. Learn yours. Pick your state for a full Medicare guide: what Advantage and Part D plans to compare, your state's Medigap rules, and where to get free local help.

States With a Dedicated Medigap Guide

Medigap is the piece that genuinely differs by state, so all fifty states and the District of Columbia have their own guide covering that state's switching windows, under-65 rules, and which lettered plans insurers there actually sell. Start with yours rather than with the general guide.

• Alabama Medicare Supplement rules
• Alaska Medicare Supplement rules
• Arizona Medicare Supplement rules
• Arkansas Medicare Supplement rules
• California Medicare Supplement rules
• Colorado Medicare Supplement rules
• Connecticut Medicare Supplement rules
• Delaware Medicare Supplement rules
• District of Columbia Medicare Supplement rules
• Florida Medicare Supplement rules
• Georgia Medicare Supplement rules
• Hawaii Medicare Supplement rules
• Idaho Medicare Supplement rules
• Illinois Medicare Supplement rules
• Indiana Medicare Supplement rules
• Iowa Medicare Supplement rules
• Kansas Medicare Supplement rules
• Kentucky Medicare Supplement rules
• Louisiana Medicare Supplement rules
• Maine Medicare Supplement rules
• Maryland Medicare Supplement rules
• Massachusetts Medicare Supplement rules
• Michigan Medicare Supplement rules
• Minnesota Medicare Supplement rules
• Mississippi Medicare Supplement rules
• Missouri Medicare Supplement rules
• Montana Medicare Supplement rules
• Nebraska Medicare Supplement rules
• Nevada Medicare Supplement rules
• New Hampshire Medicare Supplement rules
• New Jersey Medicare Supplement rules
• New Mexico Medicare Supplement rules
• New York Medicare Supplement rules
• North Carolina Medicare Supplement rules
• North Dakota Medicare Supplement rules
• Ohio Medicare Supplement rules
• Oklahoma Medicare Supplement rules
• Oregon Medicare Supplement rules
• Pennsylvania Medicare Supplement rules
• Rhode Island Medicare Supplement rules
• South Carolina Medicare Supplement rules
• South Dakota Medicare Supplement rules
• Tennessee Medicare Supplement rules
• Texas Medicare Supplement rules
• Utah Medicare Supplement rules
• Vermont Medicare Supplement rules
• Virginia Medicare Supplement rules
• Washington Medicare Supplement rules
• West Virginia Medicare Supplement rules
• Wisconsin Medicare Supplement rules
• Wyoming Medicare Supplement rules

Learn More

Find personalized help understanding your Medicare choices 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.