Medicare in Wyoming follows federal rules, but the state adds free WSHIIP counseling through the Department of Health and its own WDH Medicaid process for the Medicare Savings Programs. This guide covers every part of Medicare for Wyoming residents in 2026: what it costs, what plans exist, and how to get help paying.
In This Guide
- Key Takeaways
- Original Medicare: Parts A and B
- Medicare Advantage in Wyoming (Part C)
- Medicare Part D: Prescription Drugs
- Medigap in Wyoming
- Help Paying for Medicare in Wyoming
- Medicare Enrollment Periods
- Free Medicare Help: Wyoming WSHIIP
- 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 Wyoming WSHIIP at 307-777-7531.
Original Medicare: Parts A and B
Original Medicare is run directly by the federal government and has two parts. The mechanics and costs are identical in Wyoming 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're admitted and ends 60 days after you leave the hospital or SNF. 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 doesn't 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'll 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 Wyoming (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.
Wyoming is one of the least-densely-populated states, and Medicare Advantage reflects that. Cheyenne and Casper see a modest selection of plans, but many rural counties across the state have very few options, and some may have none at all. Plan options, networks, and prices change every year and differ by county, so check what's available at your specific 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. A Wyoming WSHIIP counselor can help you read the results 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, 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 Wyoming
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.
Wyoming offers the federally standardized plans, labeled A through N, including high-deductible Plan F and Plan G, regulated under state insurance law. 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're 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, Wyoming insurers may use medical underwriting, meaning they can review your health, charge more, or decline you.
Wyoming does not have a state law extending guaranteed-issue Medigap rights to under-65 beneficiaries on Medicare through disability, so access to Medigap before 65 depends on what individual insurers are willing to offer. If you're in Original Medicare in a rural area and considering Medigap, the freedom to use any Medicare-accepting provider nationwide may matter more than if you're near one of the state's larger cities.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
You can't 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, see our guide to Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage.
Help Paying for Medicare in Wyoming
If you're on a fixed income, two programs can cut your Medicare costs sharply.
Medicare Savings Programs
Wyoming administers its Medicare Savings Programs through Wyoming Department of Health Medicaid. The state uses the standard federal income tiers and resource limits.
| Program | Federal name | Individual | Couple | What it pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QMB | Qualified Medicare Beneficiary | Up to about $1,350 | Up to about $1,824 | Part A and B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance |
| SLMB | Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary | Up to about $1,616 | Up to about $2,184 | Part B premium |
| QI | Qualifying Individual | 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 all three 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 Wyoming Department of Health, and WSHIIP counselors (307-777-7531) can help you through the process. Enrolling in any of these programs automatically qualifies you for Extra Help with Part D.
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, SLMB, or QI, you're enrolled in Extra Help automatically
Apply through Social Security at ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/prescriptionhelp.html 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 Wyoming 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're already getting Social Security before 65, you're enrolled in Parts A and B automatically; if not, you sign up yourself through Social Security.
Free Medicare Help: Wyoming WSHIIP
You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to pay a broker. Wyoming runs the Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program (WSHIIP), administered through the Wyoming Department of Health. Counselors are trained volunteers who give free, unbiased help and don't sell insurance.
A Wyoming WSHIIP 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 307-777-7531 or visit health.wyo.gov to find local WSHIIP counseling in your county.
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.
Plan availability varies significantly by county. Cheyenne and Casper residents see a modest selection, but many rural areas across Wyoming have very few Medicare Advantage plan options. Use the Medicare Plan Finder to see what's available at your address, or call WSHIIP at 307-777-7531 for free help.
Wyoming's Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, QI) are administered through Wyoming Department of Health Medicaid using standard federal income tiers. QMB pays your Part A and B premiums plus all cost-sharing; SLMB and QI pay the Part B premium. You apply through WDH (health.wyo.gov), and enrolling automatically qualifies you for Extra Help with Part D.
The Wyoming Department of Health runs WSHIIP (Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program), the state's free, one-on-one Medicare counseling program staffed by trained volunteers. Call 307-777-7531 or visit health.wyo.gov to connect with a local counselor.
Learn More
- Medicare: The National Guide
- Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
- How Medigap Works
- Medicare Part D Drug Coverage
- Medicare Enrollment Periods
Find personalized help with Medicare in Wyoming 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.