How Lara Helps Texas Residents at No Cost
Appointments happen by phone and video statewide, so no office visit is needed and no one drives across a Texas county line to sit in a waiting room. Agent compensation comes from carriers, so pricing is the same as buying direct. Lara compares Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D drug plans across carriers rather than selling one company's lineup, and she works with clients in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. Call (818) 472-5484.
Medicare Basics in Texas
Texas has more than 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries spread across 254 counties. About half choose Medicare Advantage, with roughly 51 percent penetration in 2026 per KFF, slightly below the national rate. Texas metro areas have deep plan menus, which is good news and a trap at the same time. Two plans with the same premium can treat your cardiologist, your hospital, and your prescriptions completely differently, and only a side by side comparison shows it. Free unbiased counseling exists through Texas HICAP, the state SHIP program, formally the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program. Lara complements it with licensed enrollment help. The 2026 numbers for Texas, from the official CMS Landscape file: 272 distinct Medicare Advantage plans are offered in at least one Texas county, 220 of them with a $0 monthly premium where offered, plus 151 Special Needs Plans. The in network out of pocket maximums on those plans run from $1,599 to $9,250, with a median of $5,925. What is actually available depends on your county, which is exactly what we check at your address (Goulson analysis of CMS CY2026 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. During AEP you can switch Advantage plans, move between Original Medicare and Advantage, or change Part D plans. Plan networks, drug formularies, and benefits change every year, so last year's best plan may not be this year's. Booking a review before the rush gives you time to check every doctor and every prescription.
Texas Medigap Rules You Should Know
Three points matter here. First, Texas requires carriers to offer Medigap Plan A on a guaranteed issue basis to under 65 Medicare beneficiaries during a six month open enrollment window when they first get Medicare due to disability, though premiums can be higher before 65. Second, 2025 Texas legislation expanded guaranteed issue to all Medigap plans for under 65 beneficiaries with ESRD or ALS and limits their premiums. Third, Texas has no birthday rule and no community rating requirement, so switching Medigap plans later usually requires medical underwriting. That makes the first Medigap choice, and its timing, especially important in Texas. At 65, previously disabled beneficiaries get a fresh six month window for any plan.
Serving Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and All of Texas
Houston has heavy carrier competition and a hospital landscape that rewards checking networks before you enroll, not after. Dallas and Fort Worth clients often have the widest Advantage menus in the state, which makes narrowing the list the real work. San Antonio has strong plan participation and a large number of military retirees whose TRICARE for Life coverage changes the math. Austin continues to add retirees who moved from other states and need to reset their coverage. Phone and video service reaches every Texas county equally, including the rural ones with only a handful of options.
Why Use an Independent Agent Instead of Calling Carriers
A carrier's phone line only quotes its own plans. An independent agent compares across carriers, flags network and formulary fit for your doctors and prescriptions, and helps year after year at no cost. It also helps to know what Medicare will not do. It pays for very little long term care, so that gap deserves its own plan.
Texas Medicare Questions? Talk to a Licensed Agent
Medicare is easier when someone reads the fine print with you. Lara Goulson is licensed in Texas and ten 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 Texas 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 a free Texas Medicare review. No cost, no obligation, and your premium is the same either way.
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