Medicare help · The Lowcountry
Beaufort is a Marine town and a retirement town: Parris Island and the air station retire people here, Beaufort Memorial is the hospital, and the Naval Hospital and the VA clinic serve the military side.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in Beaufort
Beaufort County offers a broad Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in South Carolina and the full Part D lineup. Beaufort Memorial Hospital anchors the northern half of the county and contracts with some plans and not others; Novant’s Hilton Head hospital and MUSC in Charleston are the next stops for specialty care, and whether a plan’s network reaches them is the first thing we check.
A large share of Beaufort’s Medicare population is Marine Corps retirees from Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort with TRICARE For Life, for whom a Medigap policy and a Part D plan are usually redundant, plus veterans who use the Ralph H. Johnson VA’s Beaufort clinic. Naval Hospital Beaufort sees retirees on a space-available basis; Medicare does not pay there.
Major care in the area includes:
Plan networks differ — we check that your doctors and hospital are covered before you enroll.
Historic Beaufort, Port Royal, Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island, Burton, Dataw Island, Fripp Island, Parris Island, Yemassee.
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. Moving to South Carolina, losing a plan, or a FEMA hurricane declaration each open a Special Enrollment Period.
Your options
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — so your providers, your county and your prescriptions matter.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare — MUSC, Prisma, Duke or Emory across the line, or the hospital in your county seat.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksAdvantage plans built for a chronic condition, for nursing-facility care, or for people with both Medicare and Healthy Connections Medicaid.
About SNPsQuestions from Beaufort
Beaufort County typically offers a broad Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in South Carolina, and the full Part D lineup, set by ZIP code and changing each plan year.
Usually not. TFL fills Medicare’s gaps and its pharmacy is creditable. An MA-only Advantage plan can add dental or vision; we check whether one is worth it and whether its network reaches your doctors.
Nothing. Independent agents are paid by the carriers when you enroll, so comparing plans and reviewing your coverage each year is free to you.
Nearby
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, SC License #18580338), 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 I-CARE (South Carolina SHIP) at 800-868-9095.