Health systems
- Essentia Health
- Aspirus St. Luke’s
- Fairview Range (Hibbing)
- Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
- Cook County North Shore Health
- Rainy Lake Medical Center
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Medicare by region · Duluth, the Iron Range & the North Shore
Medicare help across the Arrowhead and the North Shore
Duluth, Two Harbors, Grand Marais, Hibbing, Virginia, Grand Rapids and International Falls — big distances, two big health systems, and the largest cluster of Cost-plan counties in the state.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
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Medicare in the region
Arrowhead & North Shore: what shapes the choice here
Northeastern Minnesota is where Medicare Cost plans matter most. All seven Arrowhead counties are on the state’s list of counties where Cost plans are still sold, so residents from Duluth to the Canadian border can choose a plan that uses a local network at home and falls back on Original Medicare anywhere else — a fit for people who winter away, or who drive to Rochester or the Twin Cities for specialty care.
The region also saw HealthPartners leave Medicare Advantage in St. Louis County for 2026, so many Duluth-area households were re-shopping. Essentia and Aspirus St. Luke’s each contract with different plans; we confirm your system is in-network before anything else.
Cost-plan counties in this region (2026): St. Louis, Lake, Cook, Carlton, Itasca, Koochiching, Aitkin. See where Medicare Cost plans remain in Minnesota.
Counties: St. Louis, Lake, Cook, Carlton, Itasca, Koochiching, Aitkin.
Cities in this region
When you can enroll
Turning 65? Your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7 months around your birthday. Already on Medicare? Annual Election runs Oct 15–Dec 7; Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Jan 1–Mar 31. Cost plans, where sold, accept enrollment year-round.
Your options
Which kind of plan fits you?
Medicare Advantage
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, that use a local network — so your providers and prescriptions matter.
How Advantage worksMinnesota Medigap
Basic and Extended Basic supplements pair with Original Medicare and let you see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare.
Basic vs Extended BasicMedicare Cost plans
Still sold in 21 Minnesota counties: a local network at home, Original Medicare everywhere else.
Where Cost plans remainPart D drug plans
Standalone drug coverage chosen around your medications. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksQuestions from Arrowhead Minnesota
Frequently asked questions
Are Medicare Cost plans available in Duluth and St. Louis County?
Yes. St. Louis County is one of the 21 Minnesota counties where Cost plans are still offered, along with Lake, Cook, Carlton, Itasca, Koochiching and Aitkin. Cost plans are sold by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Medica; availability and premiums are published each year by the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
Which plans include Essentia or Aspirus St. Luke’s?
It depends on the plan and the year. Each health system contracts with some plans and not others, and the lists change every October. We check your doctors and hospital against the plan directory before you enroll.
I spend winters in Arizona. Which plan travels?
Original Medicare with a Medicare supplement works anywhere in the country. A Cost plan also covers you out of area through Original Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage plans cover only emergencies outside their service area. See our snowbird guide.
Ready when you are
Let’s find the right plan for life in Arrowhead.
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
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.