Health systems
- Mayo Clinic (Rochester)
- Mayo Clinic Health System
- Olmsted Medical Center
- Winona Health
- Allina Health Faribault & Owatonna
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Medicare by region · Rochester & the river bluffs
Medicare help across Southeast Minnesota
Rochester, Winona, Red Wing, Austin, Albert Lea, Owatonna and Faribault — Mayo Clinic country, where the network question is really a Mayo question.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Request your free Medicare review
No cost, no pressure. Prefer to call? (702) 706-6564.
Medicare in the region
Southeast Minnesota: what shapes the choice here
Southeast Minnesota’s Medicare decisions revolve around one fact: Mayo Clinic accepts Original Medicare everywhere, but contracts with only some Medicare Advantage plans, and those contracts change. A Medicare supplement or a Cost plan keeps Mayo in reach without a network question; an Advantage plan needs checking every single year.
Goodhue and Rice counties are two of the 21 Minnesota counties where Medicare Cost plans are still sold, which gives Red Wing and Faribault residents a middle path many metro residents no longer have.
Cost-plan counties in this region (2026): Goodhue, Rice. See where Medicare Cost plans remain in Minnesota.
Counties: Olmsted, Winona, Goodhue, Mower, Freeborn, Steele, Rice, Wabasha, Dodge, Fillmore, Houston.
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 Southeast Minnesota
Frequently asked questions
Does Mayo Clinic take Medicare Advantage?
Mayo Clinic accepts Original Medicare, which is what a Medicare supplement or a Cost plan builds on. It contracts with some Medicare Advantage plans and not others, and those contracts change year to year. If Mayo is your care, we confirm the plan’s Mayo status in writing before you enroll.
Which Southeast Minnesota counties still have Cost plans?
Goodhue and Rice, as of the 2026 plan year, per the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Cost plan guide. Olmsted, Winona and the other southeastern counties do not.
How much does your help cost?
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
Let’s find the right plan for life in Southeast.
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.