(818) 472-5484

    Medicare Plans and Help in Arkansas

    Lara Goulson, Licensed Insurance Agent, CA License #0E69969, NPN 8407942

    You reach Lara directly · English, Español, עברית · Licensed in 12 states · No cost to work with Lara

    Lara Goulson is an independent insurance agent licensed in Arkansas. She helps clients statewide with Medicare by phone and video. Her help costs nothing, and she serves clients in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. Call (818) 472-5484.

    Lara Goulson is a licensed independent insurance agent. She is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the federal government, or any state government entity. For a complete listing of plans in your area, contact 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov.

    Medicare Help at No Cost for Arkansas Residents, by Phone or Video

    Lara is licensed in Arkansas and works with clients from Little Rock to the Delta without either party driving anywhere. Her help costs nothing. She is paid by insurance carriers and the price of your plan is the same either way. What you get is a comparison across several companies, a check of your doctors and prescriptions, and someone who answers when you call next year. Call (818) 472-5484.

    Medicare Basics in Arkansas

    Roughly 690,000 Arkansas residents are enrolled in Medicare as of early 2026. About 47 percent choose Medicare Advantage, a bit below the national average, while the rest keep Original Medicare, often paired with a Medigap plan and Part D drug coverage. That balance matters. In much of rural Arkansas, provider networks are thin enough that the freedom of Original Medicare is worth the extra premium, while in the larger metros an Advantage plan can be a strong fit. The Arkansas Senior Health Insurance Information Program, AR SHIIP, run by the Arkansas Insurance Department, offers free counseling. Lara complements that with plan specific enrollment help. The 2027 numbers for Arkansas, from the official CMS Landscape file: 54 distinct Medicare Advantage plans are offered in at least one Arkansas county, 45 of them with a $0 monthly premium where offered, plus 30 Special Needs Plans. The in network out of pocket maximums on those plans run from $4,000 to $9,850, with a median of $6,750. What is actually available depends on your county, which is exactly what we check at your address (Goulson analysis of CMS CY2027 Landscape data).

    Medicare Open Enrollment Runs October 15 to December 7, 2026

    The Annual Enrollment Period for 2027 coverage runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. Review your Annual Notice of Change before you decide. Drug formularies and networks change every year, and the difference between two plans often shows up in a single prescription tier.

    Arkansas Medigap Rules You Should Know

    First, Arkansas is one of only nine states where Medigap premiums cannot vary based on age for enrollees 65 and older, so your rate will not climb simply because you get older. Rates can still change for other reasons, such as overall rate increases or tobacco use. Second, since July 2018, insurers must offer at least one Medigap plan to Medicare beneficiaries under 65. Most offer Plan A, and premiums for under 65 enrollees can be significantly higher. Anyone who enrolled before 65 gets a fresh Medigap open enrollment window at 65. Third, Arkansas has no birthday rule, so switching Medigap plans outside a protected window usually means medical underwriting. It pays to get the first choice right.

    Serving Little Rock, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and All of Arkansas

    Little Rock and Pulaski County have the widest plan availability in the state. Fayetteville and northwest Arkansas have grown quickly, and carrier participation there has followed. Fort Smith and the river valley have a smaller lineup, and rural counties smaller still. Plan availability varies by county, and remote service reaches every county in the state.

    Why Use an Independent Agent Instead of Calling Carriers

    A carrier shows you only its own plans. An independent agent compares options across multiple carriers, checks your doctors and prescriptions against each plan, and supports you all year, not just at signup. Medicare also pays for very little long term care, which is a separate conversation worth having early.

    Talk to a Licensed Agent About Your Options in Arkansas

    Medicare is easier when someone reads the fine print with you. Lara Goulson is licensed in Arkansas and eleven other states, compares plans from multiple carriers, and stays available after you enroll, when the questions about claims, drug tiers, and provider changes actually show up. There is no fee for any of it. Carriers pay agent compensation, so a Arkansas resident pays exactly the same premium whether they enroll through Lara, through a call center, or on their own.

    Call or text (818) 472-5484 for an Arkansas Medicare review. No cost, no obligation, and your premium is the same either way.

    You reach Lara directly · English, Español, עברית · Licensed in 12 states · No cost to work with Lara

    Medicare in Arkansas? Work with a licensed broker

    Goulson Insurance Services Inc. is an independent insurance agency, and Lara Goulson works as a licensed independent agent serving Arkansas. Independent means we are not employed by any single insurance carrier. We compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D drug plans from multiple carriers and recommend the option that fits your health needs and budget. Lara Goulson, CA license 0E69969, is licensed in 12 states including Arkansas, and our agency holds CA agency license 6020069. Our team is trilingual, so you can get answers in the language you are most comfortable with. Whether you call us an agent, a broker, or an agency, the service is the same: plan comparisons at no cost to you, straight answers, and help with enrollment from a licensed professional who answers to you, not to a carrier.

    Is your Medicare plan leaving Arkansas in 2027?

    A non-renewal letter means your plan ends December 31, not that you are stuck: Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period and often Medigap guaranteed issue rights with no health questions. According to reporting by Insurance Business America and 24/7 Wall St., Humana will not renew Medicare Advantage plans covering roughly 600,000 members for 2027, and UnitedHealthcare is also scaling back where it participates. If your plan is leaving Arkansas, Medicare.gov confirms you can switch plans from December 8 through the last day of February, and if you move to Original Medicare you can buy a Medigap policy from 60 days before your coverage ends until 63 days after. Do nothing and you land in Original Medicare automatically. Lara Goulson, an independent agent licensed in Arkansas, reviews your letter at no cost and maps every option. Call (818) 472-5484. Not affiliated with Medicare or any government entity; we do not offer every plan available in your area; Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE list every option, and 1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Read the full guide for 2027 plan exits

    CMS has published the official 2027 plan crosswalk, dated October 1, 2026, and it lists 15 Medicare Advantage plans offered in Arkansas in 2026 as terminated or non-renewed. CMS enrollment counts for September 2026 show at least 10,101 Arkansas residents in those plans. The 10 largest are listed below; if yours is on this list, or on your own letter, the Special Enrollment Period and Medigap rights described above apply to you.

    Plan (CMS plan ID)Arkansas members, September 2026
    Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS), H9630-0082,885
    Wellcare Simple Preferred (HMO-POS), H1416-0551,578
    Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (PPO D-SNP), H1608-0761,241
    Aetna Medicare Dual (PPO D-SNP), H1608-077798
    Wellcare Simple Open (PPO), H0270-001637
    Wellcare Patriot Giveback Preferred (HMO-POS), H9630-015601
    Wellcare Dual Access Harmony (HMO-POS D-SNP), H1416-033533
    UHC Medicare Advantage AM-0002 (Regional PPO), R3444-012510
    Aetna Medicare Dual Extra Care (HMO D-SNP), H5325-011424
    Wellcare Giveback Dividend (HMO-POS), H1416-064265

    Source: Goulson Insurance analysis of the CMS CY2027 Plan Crosswalk (October 1, 2026), the CMS CY2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape file, and CMS Monthly Enrollment by Contract, Plan, State and County (September 2026). CMS hides county counts of 10 or fewer members, so member counts are minimums. You may republish these figures with credit under CC BY 4.0.

    Medicare Advantage plans not offered in Arkansas in 2027

    Each of these Medicare Advantage plans has at least one plan ID in Arkansas that the CMS 2027 plan crosswalk lists as terminated or non-renewed. If yours is one of them, its page shows the ending plan IDs, where members live and your deadlines.

    Medicare Advantage plans leaving some Arkansas counties in 2027

    Each of these Medicare Advantage plans continues in 2027 but is not offered in some Arkansas counties where it was offered in 2026. If yours is one of them, its page lists those counties, how many members lived there and your deadlines.

    Stand-alone drug plans not offered in Arkansas in 2027

    The CMS 2027 plan crosswalk lists these stand-alone Medicare drug plans in Arkansas as terminated or non-renewed. If yours is one of them, its page shows where members live, what happens to your drug coverage and your deadlines.

    Drug plans with a new plan ID in Arkansas for 2027

    These stand-alone Medicare drug plans continue in Arkansas in 2027 under a new plan ID. The CMS 2027 plan crosswalk moves their members to the new ID unless they choose another plan.

    Look up your plan ID for 2027

    If you have your plan ID, which starts with H, R or S followed by seven digits, such as H0000-000, type it here to see what CMS lists for that plan in 2027. This covers every 2026 Medicare Advantage plan and stand-alone drug plan offered in 11 of the 12 states where Lara Goulson is licensed; Kansas plans are not included yet.

    From the CMS CY2027 Plan Crosswalk (October 1, 2026) and the CMS CY2026 and CY2027 plan landscape files. Employer group plans are not included.

    Arkansas Medicare Questions

    The CMS 2027 plan crosswalk lists 15 plans offered in Arkansas in 2026 as terminated or non-renewed, with at least 10,101 members in September 2026. The largest are Wellcare Giveback (HMO-POS) with 2,885 members, Wellcare Simple Preferred (HMO-POS) with 1,578 members, Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (PPO D-SNP) with 1,241 members, Aetna Medicare Dual (PPO D-SNP) with 798 members and Wellcare Simple Open (PPO) with 637 members. Your own plan's letter is the final word; Lara Goulson is licensed in Arkansas and reviews it with you at no cost by phone or video at (818) 472-5484.

    Medicare open enrollment in Arkansas runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, the same dates as the rest of the country. Changes you make take effect January 1, 2027. If you miss it, Medicare Advantage members get a second window from January 1 to March 31, but options there are more limited.

    No. Unlike California or Oregon, Arkansas does not give you an annual window to switch Medigap plans without health questions. Outside your initial open enrollment or a guaranteed issue situation, insurers can apply medical underwriting, which makes your first Medigap choice especially important.

    Arkansas is one of only nine states where Medigap premiums cannot be based on your age once you are 65 or older. Your premium will not rise simply because you had a birthday. Premiums can still change through overall rate adjustments that apply to everyone on the plan.

    Yes. Since July 2018, Arkansas law requires Medigap insurers to offer at least one plan to Medicare beneficiaries under 65, though most offer Plan A and premiums can be much higher than for those 65 and up. When you turn 65 you get a new six month open enrollment period with full plan choice at standard rates.

    Nothing. Lara is paid by the insurance carriers, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through an agent or directly. Lara Goulson is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government entity.

    Request a No Cost Arkansas Medicare Review

    Send a few details and Lara will call you back, usually the same business day.

    By submitting this form, you agree that a licensed insurance agent may contact you by phone or email about your insurance options. Calls and texts by automated technology only if you tick the box below.

    You reach Lara directly · English, Español, עברית · Licensed in 12 states · No cost to work with Lara

    Medicare Advantage and Part D disclaimer

    We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 14 organizations which offer 93 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States Government or the federal Medicare program. This website is a solicitation for insurance. Goulson Insurance Services Inc., CA Business Entity License #6020069. Lara Goulson, CA License #0E69969, NPN 8407942.

    1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 14 organizations which offer 93 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Goulson Insurance Services is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government entity.

    1-800-MEDICARE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.