Health systems
- Alomere Health (Alexandria)
- Lake Region Healthcare (Fergus Falls)
- CentraCare–Rice Memorial (Willmar)
- Stevens Community Medical Center (Morris)
Each contracts differently with each plan; we check your doctors first.
Medicare by region · Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Willmar & Morris
Medicare help across West Central Minnesota
Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Willmar, Morris and the lakes around them — a retirement region where Stevens and Traverse counties still carry Cost plans.
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
West Central Minnesota: what shapes the choice here
West Central Minnesota is lake-cabin-turned-permanent-home country, and its Medicare picture is rural: a strong local hospital in each town, long drives for specialty care, and Medicare Advantage lineups that shift year to year. HealthPartners dropped Wilkin County for 2026.
Stevens and Traverse counties are still Cost-plan counties. Elsewhere, a Minnesota Basic or Extended Basic supplement remains the simplest way to keep every hospital in the state, and in Fargo, on the table.
Cost-plan counties in this region (2026): Stevens, Traverse. See where Medicare Cost plans remain in Minnesota.
Counties: Douglas, Otter Tail, Kandiyohi, Stevens, Traverse, Pope, Grant, Swift, Chippewa, Wilkin.
Cities in this region
We serve every town in the region by phone and video.
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 West Central Minnesota
Frequently asked questions
Which West Central counties still have Cost plans?
Stevens and Traverse, per the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s 2026 Cost plan guide. Douglas, Otter Tail, Kandiyohi and the others do not.
Can a Medicare supplement be used at any hospital in the region?
Yes. A Minnesota Basic or Extended Basic policy works with Original Medicare, so any hospital or doctor that accepts Medicare — in Minnesota, in Fargo, or in Arizona in January — is covered without a network.
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 West Central.
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.