Medicare made clear · Statewide in Minnesota
Turning 65, retiring, or re-shopping because your plan left the state? Sit down with a credentialed independent agent who will walk you through Medicare Advantage, Minnesota’s own Medigap plans, Cost plans 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.
Minnesota is different
Most Medicare advice is written for the 47 states that use the federal plan letters and retired Cost plans years ago. Minnesota did neither. Start with what is actually for sale here.
Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin standardize supplements their own way. There is no “Plan G” here — there is a Basic plan, an Extended Basic plan, and riders that build up from Basic. Comparisons from other states do not describe what you can buy.
Basic vs Extended BasicMedicare Cost plans — a local network at home, Original Medicare anywhere else — ended in the metro in 2019 but are still sold from Duluth to Pipestone. If your county is on the list, it is a third path worth comparing.
See the county listMinnesotans 65+ with Medical Assistance can join Minnesota Senior Health Options: one plan, one card, one care coordinator for Medicare, Medicaid, drugs and long-term services.
Medical Assistance & MSHOMedicare 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 local network — so your providers and prescriptions matter.
How Advantage worksBasic and Extended Basic supplements pair with Original Medicare and let you see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare.
Basic vs Extended BasicStill sold in 21 Minnesota counties: a local network at home, Original Medicare everywhere else.
Where Cost plans remainStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksYour situation matters
The rules change a lot depending on what else you have and where you spend the year. These are the situations Minnesotans ask us about most.
Which plans travel to Arizona, Florida or Texas, and which ones only cover emergencies once you cross the state line.
Medicare for snowbirdsUCare left Medicare Advantage for 2026 and other carriers dropped counties. What a discontinuation notice gives you, and the deadline that comes with it.
What to do nextHow TRICARE For Life and VA care — Minneapolis, St. Cloud or Fargo VA — each work with Medicare, and why Part B timing still matters.
Veterans & MedicareChronic Special Needs Plans for diabetes, heart or lung disease, and Institutional SNPs for people in a nursing facility.
About C-SNPsFree guide
A clear, step-by-step walk-through of your enrollment windows, the Minnesota-specific choices in front of you, 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 is an independent Medicare insurance agent, credentialed gerontologist, and Registered Social Security Analyst® who helps Minnesota 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 Minnesota
We work with Minnesotans by phone and video across the state. Find Medicare guidance for your city:
Or explore Medicare by region — the parts of the state we all know by name:
Questions Minnesotans 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.
Three things. Minnesota standardizes Medicare supplements its own way — Basic and Extended Basic plans with riders, not the A–N letters used in most states. Medicare Cost plans, retired almost everywhere else, are still sold in 21 Minnesota counties. And people 65 and over who qualify for Medical Assistance can join Minnesota Senior Health Options, which combines Medicare and Medicaid under one plan.
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. Medicare Cost plans, where they are sold, accept enrollment year-round, and under a law effective August 1, 2026, Minnesotans aged 65 through 70 can also buy a Medicare supplement without health questions, one time, during the Annual Election Period or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, with a lasting premium surcharge of 15% to 35%.
You are not alone: UCare left Medicare Advantage statewide for 2026, and other carriers dropped dozens of counties. A discontinued plan gives you a Special Enrollment Period and, in many cases, a guaranteed-issue right to buy a Medicare supplement without health questions. Call us before the deadline on your plan’s notice and we will lay out the options.
A Minnesota Basic or Extended Basic supplement works anywhere in the country with any provider that accepts Medicare, and a Cost plan covers you out of area through Original Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage plans cover only emergencies outside their service area. Our snowbird guide walks through it, and our sister agency has offices in Mesa and Sun City, Arizona.
No — and we will always be upfront about that. We represent a number of insurance organizations and products in Minnesota, 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 Minnesota Aging Pathways (800-333-2433) 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), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 3, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433.