If you're turning 65 in Tennessee or helping a parent sort out Medicare, you're facing four parts, dozens of plan choices, and costs that reset every January. The standard Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 a month, the Part D donut hole is gone, and every one of Tennessee's 1,496,872 Medicare beneficiaries has access to a Medicare Advantage plan. 132 are available across the state for 2026, and the lowest monthly premium among them is $0.,

In This Guide

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, check Medicare's own cost page or call Tennessee SHIP at 1-877-801-0044.

Original Medicare: Parts A and B

Original Medicare is run directly by the federal government, and it comes in two parts.

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 went up $60 from 2025, to $1,736 per benefit period. A benefit period starts the day you're admitted and ends once you've gone 60 days in a row without inpatient hospital care or skilled care in a nursing facility. 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. Part B doesn't cover routine dental, vision, or hearing. Some Medicare Advantage plans add routine dental, vision, or hearing benefits, but those extras aren't universal, so check what a specific plan actually covers before you count on it.,

  • Monthly premium: $202.90 (higher if your income is above $109,000 for a single filer or $218,000 for a joint filer, 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 qualifying for a Special Enrollment Period or a Medicare Savings Program and you'll owe a late penalty of 10% for every 12 months you could have had it, for as long as you keep Part B. Creditable coverage protects you from the Part D penalty, not the Part B one. For Part B you need a Special Enrollment Period, usually from current job-based coverage; COBRA or retiree coverage ending doesn't open one.

Medicare Advantage Plans in Tennessee (Part C)

Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare, sold by private insurers. They must cover all the medically necessary services Parts A and B cover except hospice, which Original Medicare keeps paying for, and most bundle in Part D drug coverage along with extras like dental, vision, and hearing.

Tennessee has a broad market for these plans. All 1,496,872 of the state's Medicare beneficiaries have access to a Medicare Advantage plan, and 132 plans are available for 2026, one more than the 131 offered in 2025. The average monthly plan premium in Tennessee came down from $16.89 in 2025 to $12.83 in 2026, and the lowest monthly premium in the state is $0. Nationally, the average beneficiary can choose from about 32 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage for 2026.

What's on Offer Depends on Your County

That statewide count of 132 plans is not a menu any one person gets to order from. Plan counts and premiums vary by county, so two people in different parts of Tennessee can pull up the same tool and see very different options. Whether a $0 plan is offered in your county, and whether it covers your doctors, is a question only your ZIP code can answer.

How These Plans Work

Use the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare current plans side by side by ZIP code., It shows which plans offer extras like dental but gives limited detail on them, so confirm doctors, drugs, and extras with the plan.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans in Tennessee

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. In Tennessee, 12 stand-alone Part D plans are available for 2026, and 24.24% of the Tennesseans in one of them get Extra Help paying for it.

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:

  1. Deductible: you pay full price until you meet your plan's deductible (up to $615 in 2026; some plans charge none, and certain insulins and vaccines are exempt from it).
  2. Initial coverage: you pay copays or coinsurance while your plan and drug makers cover the rest.
  3. 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, up from $2,000 in 2025 under the CY 2026 Rate Announcement, is the number that matters most in Part D. The 2026 national base beneficiary premium is $38.99 a month, though actual plan premiums vary. 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 Tennessee

Medigap policies are sold by private insurers to fill the gaps in Original Medicare: the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. They work with Original Medicare, and a Medigap policy can't pay a Medicare Advantage plan's copays, coinsurance, deductibles, or premiums.

Tennessee offers the federally standardized plans, labeled A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are closed to anyone who became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2020. If you're new to Medicare, CMS says you can buy Plan D or Plan G instead, which give the same benefits as C and F but don't cover the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026.

Your strongest opening is the federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the six months that begin when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window an insurer can't refuse to sell you any Medigap policy it offers or charge you more because of your health.

The federal window assumes you're 65. If you have Medicare before 65 because of a disability or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), Tennessee's 2010 Public Chapter 978 requires insurers that sell Medigap to people 65 and older to offer policies to you too, and, as enacted, the law lets you enroll within six months after events such as enrolling in Part B or involuntarily losing Medicaid. The state insurance department says no one with disability or ESRD Medicare may be denied a Medigap policy because of health status, though premiums can differ from those for people 65 and older. You still get the six-month open enrollment period when you turn 65.

Guaranteed-Issue Rights After Your Window Closes

Once your six-month window closes there is no federal guarantee that an insurance company will sell you a Medigap policy at all, and if one will, it may cost more because of past or present health problems.

Tennessee closes part of that gap. Under Tennessee rule 0780-01-58-.15, someone in certain situations who applies within the 63-day guaranteed-issue period, with evidence of when their coverage ended, cannot be denied a covered Medigap policy, charged more because of health status, or given a pre-existing-condition exclusion. Those situations include an employer plan that supplements Medicare ending or dropping those benefits, and Medicaid ending involuntarily after you are 65 and enrolled in Part B. For TennCare, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance says anyone 65 or older disenrolled from TennCare must be given 63 days from the date of disenrollment to buy a Medigap policy. Our Tennessee Medigap guide covers which plans each situation unlocks.

Some states add an annual switching window on top of the federal floor; we could not document one for Tennessee. So choose carefully during your initial window, and weigh Plan G or Plan N before you're locked in.

All standardized Medigap policies are automatically renewed every year, even if you have health problems; the insurer can drop you only if you stop paying premiums, weren't truthful on your application, or it goes bankrupt or out of business. Medigap carriers selling in Tennessee are regulated and licensed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance.

Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

While you're in a Medicare Advantage plan it's illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy unless you're switching back to Original Medicare. 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. Either way the decision carries weight: after your six-month window, switching to Medigap usually means passing a health screening unless a guaranteed-issue right applies. Tennessee also protects a trial run: join a Medicare Advantage plan when you first become eligible for Part A at 65 and leave it within 12 months, and you can buy any Medigap policy any issuer offers during the guaranteed-issue period.

Help Paying for Medicare in Tennessee

If you're on a fixed income, two programs can cut your Medicare costs sharply.

Medicare Savings Programs

Tennessee runs its Medicare Savings Programs through TennCare, the state's Medicaid program. They pay some or all of your Medicare premiums and cost-sharing based on income.

Program Individual Couple What it pays
QMB Up to $1,350 Up to $1,824 Part B premium, Part A premium if you owe one, deductibles, coinsurance
SLMB Up to $1,616 Up to $2,184 Part B premium
QI Up to $1,816 Up to $2,455 Part B premium

Those figures already include the $20 general income deduction TennCare subtracts before measuring you against the poverty level.

QMB is the most generous, covering your Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) and your deductibles and coinsurance. Tennessee applies the federal asset test for these programs: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple in 2026, per the Social Security Administration's POMS rules. Those resource figures are the federal standard, not an absolute cutoff: states can effectively raise both the income and the resource limits by disregarding certain income and resources, so apply even if you look somewhat over. Qualifying for QMB, SLMB, or QI also automatically qualifies you for Extra Help for Part D, with no separate application; QDWI, the fourth savings program, does not.

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. Under Extra Help the plan premium and the plan deductible are both $0, but the premium half has a condition: Medicare pays the premium subsidy against your service area's regional benchmark premium, so if you pick a plan that costs more than the benchmark, you owe the difference yourself.

  • Income limits: $23,940 a year for an individual, $32,460 for a married couple, which is 150% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines for a one- or two-person household (higher if family members you support live with you). Not every dollar counts toward that test, so apply rather than rule yourself out on income alone
  • Resource limits: $18,090 for an individual, $36,100 for a married couple. A lower pair, $16,590 and $33,100, applies only if you tell Social Security that none of your resources will go toward funeral or burial expenses
  • If you qualify for QMB, SLMB, or QI, you automatically qualify for Extra Help and don't need to apply for it separately,

Apply through the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help or call 1-800-772-1213.

If You Have Both Medicare and TennCare

Many people who have Medicare also qualify for Medicaid. In Tennessee, they can enroll in a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), a Medicare Advantage plan that coordinates both programs, including long-term services and supports such as TennCare CHOICES. A Fully Integrated Dual Eligible (FIDE) SNP manages both under one health plan, with one member card and one handbook; a Coordination-Only D-SNP covers Medicare and works with your TennCare health plan on the rest, and TennCare limits Coordination-Only enrollment to Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB) and 1915(c) members.

TennCare's 2026 list includes D-SNPs from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (the BlueCare Plus plans), UnitedHealthcare (the UHC Dual Complete plans), and Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup), the same three companies that run the TennCare health plans. It also lists Coordination-Only D-SNPs from Humana and HealthSpring, and Wellcare Dual Access from Wellcare/Centene. A D-SNP from the company that runs your TennCare coverage used to be simply the best-coordinated option. It is now a requirement with a deadline.

If your needs are more intensive and you'd otherwise need nursing-home care, the PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program is another fully integrated option, though in Tennessee it is limited to people who live in Hamilton County, are 55 or older, meet a nursing facility level of care, and can live in a community setting without jeopardizing their health or safety. For the full picture, see our guides to TennCare CHOICES and Tennessee's BlueCare Plus FIDE D-SNP.

Medicare Enrollment Periods

Miss a deadline and you can face coverage gaps or permanent penalties. The key dates:

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 One change: 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 (coverage starts the month after you enroll)
Medigap Open Enrollment 6 months from age 65 + Part B Buy any Medigap policy an insurer offers; it can't refuse you or charge more for your health

Changes you make during Annual Open Enrollment take effect the following January 1. That's when most people review their plan and switch.

Free Medicare Help: Tennessee SHIP

Tennessee's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, gives free, unbiased Medicare counseling. It's run by the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging and it does not promote any insurance agency.

A SHIP counselor can help you:

Call 1-877-801-0044, email dda.ship@tn.gov, or fill out the online form on the program's page to get started.

Key Tennessee Medicare Contacts

Tennessee SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) Free, unbiased counseling for Medicare-eligible Tennesseans, their families, and caregivers; the program does not promote any insurance agency. 1-877-801-0044 Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging SHIP
TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid) Applications for the QMB, SLMB, and QI Medicare Savings Programs that help pay your Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. Medicare Savings Programs through TennCare
Social Security Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) applications, plus automatic Part A and Part B enrollment questions. 1-800-772-1213 Apply for Extra Help
Medicare Compare Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap plans by ZIP code on medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE to reach a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays (TTY 1-877-486-2048). 1-800-633-4227 Medicare Plan Finder
Your next step Call Tennessee SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 for free, unbiased help from a trained counselor, including a cost comparison of your Medicare drug plan options and help applying for programs like Medicare Savings Programs and the Low-Income Subsidy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Medicare cost in Tennessee in 2026?

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 base is $38.99), and some Medicare Advantage plans charge no premium of their own., Your total depends on the plan you pick and the care you use.

When can I buy a Medigap plan in Tennessee without health questions?

Your main window is the federal six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. After it closes, Tennessee's guaranteed-issue rule still requires a sale in certain situations if you apply within its 63-day period, such as losing employer coverage that supplements Medicare or losing TennCare after 65. If you are under 65 with disability or ESRD Medicare, Tennessee's 2010 law, as enacted, gives you six-month windows after events such as enrolling in Part B, and you can't be denied for health status. Outside those situations there is no federal guarantee an insurer will sell you a policy, and one that does may charge more for your health. If you have heard Tennessee offers an annual switching window, confirm it with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance rather than relying on it.

How do I get help paying for Medicare in Tennessee?

Apply for a Medicare Savings Program through TennCare, and apply for Extra Help with Part D through Social Security at 1-800-772-1213., QMB pays your Part B premium, your Part A premium if you owe one, and your Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. TennCare measures countable income, after the $20 general deduction, against the poverty-level band rather than your gross pay, and the resource limit is not an absolute cutoff either, so apply rather than rule yourself out if you look close. Tennessee SHIP (1-877-801-0044) counsels for free, and if your income is under 150% of the poverty level, a counselor can help you apply for both.

What happens if I have both Medicare and TennCare?

You can enroll in a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) that coordinates your Medicare and TennCare benefits through a single plan, with the tightest coordination in a FIDE SNP, which manages both under one health plan. TennCare also keeps paying for costs Medicare doesn't, like long-term care and many in-home services.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans by State: What Varies and What Doesn'tOriginal Medicare is the same in all 50 states. Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap rules are not. See what changes by state, then open your state guide. MedicaidTennessee Medicare Savings Programs: QMB, SLMB, QITennessee Medicare Savings Programs in 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, the Part B premium savings, Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through TennCare. MedicaidMedicare vs Medicaid in TennesseeMedicare and TennCare are two different programs. Here's how they differ in 2026, who qualifies for both, and what each pays for in Tennessee. MedicaidTennCare CHOICES: Eligibility and ServicesTennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid long-term care program for seniors and adults with physical disabilities. Three groups, a Group 2 waitlist, 2026 rules. MedicaidTennessee BlueCare Plus FIDE D-SNPHow Tennessee's BlueCare Plus FIDE D-SNP aligns with TennCare CHOICES, the three TN carriers, eligibility, 2026 changes, and which dual plan fits your family. MedicaidTennessee PACE ProgramTennessee PACE in 2026: Ascension Living Alexian PACE in Chattanooga is the only site. Eligibility, costs, IDT, lock-in, PACE vs. CHOICES, and worked examples. MedicaidTennessee Medicaid (TennCare) GuideTennessee Medicaid (TennCare) covers 1.4M Tennesseans in 2026. Eligibility, CHOICES, ECF CHOICES, Katie Beckett, MCOs, estate recovery, and how to apply.

Find personalized help comparing your Medicare options in Tennessee 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.

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