Medicare made clear · Statewide in Indiana
Turning 65, retiring from the plant or the school corporation, or re-shopping because your plan changed for 2026? Sit down with a credentialed independent agent who will walk you through Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D in plain English — patiently, and at no cost to you.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Tell us a little about you and Darin will reach out. Prefer to talk now? Call (702) 706-6564.
Indiana is different
Indiana has 92 counties, about half its Medicare population in Advantage plans, a Medigap switching rule that is brand new, and a care map organized around a handful of big systems that each contract on their own terms. Start with what is actually for sale where you live.
Since 2026 a Hoosier 65 or older with a Medigap policy can move to the same plan letter at another insurer, with no health questions, in a window around each birthday. That turns a premium increase from something you absorb into something you shop. We track every Indiana carrier’s filed rate history.
How the birthday rule worksIU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, Community, Franciscan and Eskenazi in Indianapolis; Parkview and Lutheran in Fort Wayne; Deaconess in Evansville; Beacon and Saint Joseph in South Bend — each contracts with some Advantage plans and not others. And IU Health’s own plan moved under Anthem for 2026.
What changed for 2026Florida in January, a specialist in Louisville, Cincinnati or Chicago in March. A Medigap policy follows you anywhere; most Advantage HMOs stop at the network line. Which one fits depends on how you actually live.
Snowbirds & border careMedicare in 2026, at a glance
Premiums and deductibles change every year. Here are the current 2026 Original Medicare figures — we refresh them annually so you are never reading last year’s numbers.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released November 14, 2025) and 2026 Part D parameters. Higher earners may pay an income-related surcharge (IRMAA) — see our 2026 costs & IRMAA page.
Where to start
There is no single “best” plan — only the one that fits your doctors, your prescriptions, your county and your winters. Here is the plain-English version of your choices.
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a network — so whether your doctors are IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, Community, Franciscan, Parkview or Deaconess matters.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare — in Indianapolis, in Louisville or Chicago, or in Florida for the winter. Indiana now has a birthday rule for switching.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100. HoosierRx can help with the premium.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Indiana Medicaid through PathWays for Aging.
About SNPsYour situation matters
The rules change a lot depending on what else you have and where you spend the year. These are the situations Hoosiers ask us about most.
Which plans work when you winter in Florida or Arizona, or see a doctor in Louisville, Cincinnati or Chicago.
Medicare for Hoosier snowbirdsIndiana’s new Medigap birthday rule, what a plan-exit notice gives you, and the deadlines that come with each.
What to do nextTRICARE For Life, the Roudebush VA, VA Northern Indiana and the Evansville VA — and why Part B timing still matters.
Veterans & MedicarePathWays for Aging, the Medicare Savings Programs that pay your Part B premium, HoosierRx, and Dual Special Needs Plans that coordinate both.
Dual-eligible helpFree guide
A clear, step-by-step walk-through of your enrollment windows, the Indiana-specific choices in front of you — including what to do with a union or employer retiree plan — and the deadlines that carry a lifelong penalty if you miss them. No sign-up required.
Read the Turning 65 guide Get the free 295-page bookWho you’ll be working with
Gerontologist · Registered Social Security Analyst® · U.S. Air Force Veteran
Darin Weidauer (IN License #3951814) is an independent Medicare insurance agent, credentialed gerontologist, and Registered Social Security Analyst® who helps Indiana retirees and people approaching 65 make sense of their options — clearly, patiently, and with no cost to them. A 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran who retired as an officer, Darin holds five master’s degrees, including an MBA and a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine and a Master’s in Long-Term Care from USC, and became a credentialed gerontologist in 2014 — studying the human side of aging, not just the paperwork.
A former Professor of Aerospace Studies at Loyola Marymount University who has lectured at more than 50 colleges and universities, Darin now channels that teaching instinct into plain-English Medicare education through one-on-one reviews, no-cost workshops, and his book Retire With Confidence. More about Darin →
Serving communities across Indiana
We work with Hoosiers by phone and video across all 92 counties. Find Medicare guidance for your city:
Or explore Medicare by region — the parts of the state we all know by name:
Questions Hoosiers ask
There is no cost to you. Independent Medicare agents are paid by the insurance carriers when you enroll, so our help comparing plans, answering questions, and reviewing your coverage each year is free. Your plan premium is the same whether you enroll with our help or on your own.
A switching window that Indiana added for 2026. If you are 65 or older and already have a Medigap policy, you can apply to another insurer for the same plan letter, without medical underwriting, in a window that opens 31 days before your birthday and closes 31 days after it; the new policy starts the first of the following month. It is the tool for a Hoosier whose Plan G premium just jumped. Details and the current wording are on our Medigap page and with Indiana SHIP.
Most people first enroll during their Initial Enrollment Period, the seven months around their 65th birthday. After that, the Annual Election Period runs October 15 to December 7 each year, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31. Moving counties, losing a plan, or qualifying for Medicaid opens a Special Enrollment Period, and the birthday rule covers Medigap-to-Medigap switches.
It depends on the plan and the year. Every big Indiana system accepts Original Medicare, and therefore any Medigap policy. Each contracts with some Advantage plans and not others, and the list changes every October — and for 2026 IU Health Plans’ own Advantage members were moved under Anthem. If a specific system or doctor is your care, we confirm the plan’s status in writing before you enroll.
Often, yes. VA health care and Medicare do not coordinate with each other, and TRICARE For Life requires you to have Medicare Parts A and B. Enrolling in Part B on time matters even with VA care at Roudebush or Fort Wayne, because VA medical coverage is not creditable for Part B and the late penalty lasts for life. Our Veterans page explains how these benefits fit together.
No — and we will always be upfront about that. We represent a number of insurance organizations and products in Indiana, not all of them. The easiest next step is to call us at (702) 706-6564 and we will walk through what fits you. To compare every option on your own, Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, and Indiana SHIP (800-452-4800) have the complete list.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost. We’ll look at your doctors, your prescriptions, your county and your winters together.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, IN License #3951814), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Indiana SHIP at 800-452-4800.