Medicare help · Northwest Indiana & the Region
Gary and Merrillville are Methodist Hospitals country — Northlake and Southlake — with Franciscan Health Crown Point to the south, the Dunes to the east, and a steel-retiree population with union plans to sort out.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in Gary
Lake County offers a wide Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in Indiana and the full Part D lineup. Methodist Hospitals’ two campuses, Northlake in Gary and Southlake in Merrillville, and Franciscan Health’s new Crown Point hospital contract with different carriers, and Chicago is forty minutes west for anything the Region does not do.
Gary’s retirees are largely steelworkers and their families, and a union retiree plan is frequently the best coverage on the table and a one-way door if you leave it; we compare before anyone cancels anything. Porter County’s dune towns just east add a snowbird population whose plans need to travel.
Major care in the area includes:
Plan networks differ — we check that your doctors and hospital are covered before you enroll.
Gary, Merrillville, Hobart, Crown Point, Portage, Lake Station, Chesterton, Valparaiso, Miller Beach.
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? The Annual Election Period is Oct 15–Dec 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan 1–Mar 31. Already have a Medigap policy? Indiana’s birthday rule opens a switching window around your birthday each year.
Your options
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 SNPsQuestions from Gary
Lake County typically offers a wide Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in Indiana, and the full Part D lineup, set by ZIP code and changing each plan year.
Methodist, Franciscan and Community Healthcare System contract with different Advantage plans, changing year to year. With Original Medicare and a Medigap policy there is no network. We confirm before you enroll.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
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.