People in Ohio have access to 224 Medicare Advantage plans, 16 prescription drug plans, and 12 Medigap plans. Your exact options depend on where you live.
Medicare is a health insurance program for individuals ages 65 and older, as well as younger people with specific health conditions and disabilities.
It includes four components:
- Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) comprise Original Medicare.
- Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, is an alternative to Original Medicare.
- Part D provides coverage for prescription medications.
If you have Original Medicare, you can also sign up for a supplemental insurance plan (Medigap) to help cover additional out-of-pocket costs.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 2,516,184 people in Ohio are enrolled in Medicare.
The CMS reported the following trends for the 2025 plan year:
- The average Medicare Advantage monthly premium decreased by 61 cents — from $16.12 in 2024 to $15.51 in 2025.
- The number of available Medicare Advantage plans increased by 7 — from 217 in 2024 to 224 in 2025.
- All Medicare beneficiaries have the option to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, including plans with $0 premiums.
- All Original Medicare enrollees have the option to buy a stand-alone prescription drug plan.
- There are 16 stand-alone prescription drug plans available, and the lowest monthly premium is $0.
- About 66% of people with a stand-alone prescription drug plan have the option to enroll in a plan with a lower premium than they paid in 2024.
- About 22% of people with a stand-alone prescription drug plan receive Extra Help.
Each part of Medicare offers specific services, making it essential to understand the details of each component.
Original Medicare
Original Medicare is a federal program consisting of Part A and Part B, available to anyone who qualifies for Medicare.
Most people are eligible for premium-free Part A. In 2025, the standard monthly premium for Part B is estimated to be $185, but your premium may be higher based on your income.
Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans are provided by private insurers that collaborate with Medicare to bundle Part A and Part B coverage with additional health and wellness benefits.
Many of these plans also include prescription drug coverage, as well as certain vision, dental, and hearing benefits.
Some of the companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio include:
- Aetna Medicare
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Devoted Health
- Humana
- Medical Mutual of Ohio
- Mount Carmel MediGold
- The Health Plan
- UnitedHealthcare
- Wellcare
- Wellcare by Allwell
Service areas may vary by plan, and each plan sets its own costs and coverage options.
Stand-alone prescription drug plans
Private insurance companies partner with Medicare to offer prescription drug coverage, and you must be enrolled in Part A or Part B to qualify.
People in Ohio can choose from 16 different prescription drug plans offered by some of the following companies:
- Aetna Medicare
- Anthem / Anthem or Blue KC in Missouri
- Cigna Healthcare
- Humana
- UnitedHealthcare
- Wellcare
Service areas may vary by plan, and each plan sets its own costs and coverage options.
Medigap
Private insurers work with Medicare to provide supplemental coverage for Original Medicare beneficiaries.
Medigap plans are not health insurance; they are intended to help cover out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
People in Ohio can choose from 12 different Medigap plans:
Some of the companies that offer Medigap plans in Ohio include:
- Ace Property and Casualty Insurance Company
- AFLAC
- AIC – PrimeTime Choices
- Allstate Health Solutions
- American Benefit Life Insurance Company
- American Financial Security Life Insurance Company
- American Home Life Insurance Company
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Ohio
- Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company
- Cigna National Health Insurance Company
- Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee (Aetna)
- Erie Family Life Insurance Company
- Everence Association Inc.
- Federal Life Insurance Company
- Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company
- GPM Health and Life Insurance Company
- Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company
- Heartland National Life Insurance Company
- Humana (Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Inc.)
- Humana Achieve (CompBenefits Insurance Company)
- LifeShield National Insurance Company
- Manhattan Life Assurance Company
- Medical Mutual of Ohio
- Medico Insurance Company
- MedMutual Protect
- Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Supplemental Insurance Company)
- Nassau Life Insurance Company
- New Era Life Insurance Company
- Paramount Insurance Company
- Pekin Life Insurance Company
- Physicians Select Insurance Company
- Royal Arcanum
- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
- THP Ins. Co
- Transamerica Life Insurance Company
- United American Insurance Company
- UnitedHealthcare/AARP
- USAA Life Insurance Company
- Washington National Insurance Company
- Wellcare (Centene)
- Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation
- Woodmen Of The World Life Insurance Society
Service areas may vary by plan, and each plan sets its own costs and coverage options.
You’re eligible for Medicare if you:
- are age 65 or over
- are a U.S. citizen or legal resident of at least 5 years
If you’re under age 65, you may be eligible for Medicare if you:
- received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits for at least 24 months
- have end stage renal disease (ESRD) or a kidney transplant
- have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
When can you enroll in Medicare in Ohio?
You can only enroll in Medicare or change your coverage during certain periods:
- Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): This lasts for seven months — three months before your 65th birthday, during your birth month, and three months afterward.
- Open Enrollment Period (OEP): From October 15 to December 7, you can enroll, switch plans, or cancel coverage.
- Medicare Advantage OEP: If you’re already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make changes from January 1 to March 31.
- Medigap OEP: You have six months after turning 65 to enroll in Medigap.
Certain life events can trigger a special enrollment period, so you can sign up for Medicare outside of standard enrollment.
Tips for enrolling in Medicare in Ohio
To help you narrow down your options, it’s helpful to consider:
- Provider network: To use your Medicare Advantage plan, you may need to seek care from in-network providers. Before enrolling, confirm that your healthcare team is included in the network.
- Prescription drugs: Make a comprehensive list of your current medications and compare it with the coverage offered by stand-alone prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plans in your area. Confirm that your medications are covered and affordably priced.
- Travel coverage: Some Medicare Advantage plans provide coverage outside of the plan’s service area. If you travel frequently, it may be helpful to choose a plan that includes this benefit.
- Plan performance: The CMS publishes annual plan ratings ranging from one to five stars, with five being the highest rating.
Medicare has a helpline with staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (excluding some federal holidays) to answer your questions. You can call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 (TTY: 1-877-486-2048).
For personalized health insurance counseling, contact Ohio’sState Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)at 1-800-686-1578.
More than 2.5 million Ohio residents are enrolled in Medicare.
Dozens of private insurance companies offer Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and stand-alone prescription drug coverage throughout the state.
Overall, monthly premium costs have remained stable for Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio.