Medicare by region · Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland–Odessa, Abilene & San Angelo
Lubbock, Potter, Randall, Midland, Ector, Taylor and Tom Green counties, and the wide-open counties around them — strong regional hospitals, long drives, and the thinnest Advantage menus in the state.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in the region
West Texas Medicare is a distance problem. Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland–Odessa, Abilene and San Angelo each have solid regional systems, but the counties between them may be an hour or more from a hospital, and Advantage networks that look fine on paper can be a two-hour drive in practice. For 2026 several rural counties out here lost Advantage plans altogether.
That is why so many West Texans keep Original Medicare with a Medigap policy: it works at Covenant, UMC, BSA and Midland Memorial alike, and at the Lubbock or Amarillo VA clinics for veterans who carry both.
What to watch: The Panhandle and Permian counties outside the hub cities were among the hardest hit by the 2026 carrier withdrawals; some counties now have one or two Advantage plans or none. Original Medicare with a Medigap policy covers every hospital in the region without a network, and that is often the practical answer out here.
Counties: Lubbock, Potter, Randall, Midland, Ector, Taylor, Tom Green, Hale, Hockley, Howard, Scurry, Wichita, Deaf Smith, Gray, Hutchinson.
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
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. A plan leaving your county opens 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 — MD Anderson, Mayo, or a clinic in the Valley.
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 Texas Medicaid.
About SNPsQuestions from West Texas
Lubbock, Potter and Randall counties typically offer a moderate Medicare Advantage menu, every Medigap carrier in Texas, and the full Part D lineup. Rural counties around them have fewer Advantage plans and some lost plans for 2026.
For the 2026 plan year UnitedHealthcare and Humana withdrew Medicare Advantage plans from a number of rural Texas counties, and Humana has announced further reductions for 2027. A plan leaving your county gives you a Special Enrollment Period and, in most cases, a guaranteed-issue right to a Medigap policy without health questions.
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, TX License #2514981), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Texas HICAP at 800-252-9240.