Medicare Advantage in Texas
Texas has one of the largest Medicare Advantage markets in the country. Most Texas counties offer plans from major carriers like Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, BCBS Texas, Cigna, and Wellcare, plus several regional players that focus on specific metro areas.
Texas is geographically large enough that the same Medicare Advantage carrier can behave very differently in Houston versus Dallas versus San Antonio versus Austin versus the Rio Grande Valley. We pull plans by your specific Texas ZIP, not by carrier reputation in another part of the state.
We run your doctors and prescriptions against each plan's actual provider directory and formulary. If your current MA plan still fits, we tell you to stay.
What's worth knowing about Medicare Advantage in TX
Networks vary widely across Texas regions. A Medicare Advantage plan that's strong in the Houston Texas Medical Center area may be thin in Lubbock or El Paso, and a plan that works in DFW may not cover the providers you use in San Antonio. The same carrier name can mean different network breadth in different markets. We pull plans by your specific ZIP.
Specialist tier doesn't always match hospital tier. A surgeon, cardiologist, or oncologist who admits at an in-network hospital may be on a different network tier than the hospital itself. We pull the actual provider directory and check the doctors you see by name, not just the hospital's general status.
Pharmacy networks include regional chains. Texas has H-E-B, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Tom Thumb, Brookshire's, and others as preferred pharmacies on different plans. The plan that's cheap if you fill at H-E-B may be expensive if you fill at Walgreens. We check pharmacy fit against the chains you actually use.
Plan year changes. Carriers can change networks, formularies, and cost-sharing every plan year. The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) you get each fall is worth opening. The plan that fit you last year may not fit this year.
Common questions about Medicare Advantage in Texas
Are there a lot of Medicare Advantage plans available in Texas?
Yes. Texas is one of the largest Medicare Advantage markets in the country, and most Texas counties have a wide selection from major carriers. The specific plans, premiums, and provider networks vary by county and ZIP code, and they change every plan year.
I'm in Houston (or Dallas, San Antonio, Austin). How do I find the plans available in my ZIP?
Plan availability and network strength vary block by block in large Texas metros. The MD Anderson, Memorial Hermann, Texas Health, Methodist, Baylor Scott & White, UT Health, and HCA networks are not all in-network on the same plan even within the same city. We pull plans for your specific ZIP and check the providers you actually use.
Can I switch Medicare Advantage plans during the year in Texas?
Outside the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7), you can usually change plans only during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31), which lets you switch from one MA plan to another or back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.
Special Enrollment Periods can open up after qualifying life events like moving, losing employer coverage, or qualifying for Extra Help.
How is a Medicare Advantage plan different from Medicare Supplement (Medigap) in Texas?
Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare. You get your benefits through the carrier, often with bundled drug coverage, and you stay inside the plan's network for full coverage.
Medigap supplements Original Medicare. You stay on Original Medicare and the supplement pays the gaps. There's no network because Original Medicare accepts any provider in the country who accepts Medicare. Medigap requires a separate Part D plan for prescriptions.
For Texans who travel between regions inside the state or split time with a second residence elsewhere, Medigap's no-network design can simplify things. Whether the math works depends on your situation. We walk through both honestly.
Are you connected to Medicare or to a specific Medicare Advantage carrier?
No. The Right Choice Agency is an independent licensed insurance agency. We are not connected with or endorsed by the United States government, the federal Medicare program, or any single carrier. We help you compare options from the carriers we represent. For information on all your options, contact Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
If your current MA plan still fits, we tell you to stay
We don't do paperwork on the first call. We pull what's available in your Texas ZIP, check your doctors and prescriptions against each plan's actual provider directory and formulary, factor in regional network differences, and walk through the tradeoffs. If your current Medicare Advantage plan is the right one, we tell you to stay where you are. That's the whole pitch.
For the full Texas overview, see Medicare in Texas. For more on how Medicare Advantage works generally, see Medicare Advantage.
Required disclosures. We are not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Plan availability, premiums, and benefits vary by county, ZIP code, and plan year. This is not a complete description of benefits.