These pages answer one question each, in plain language, with the Texas details that matter: HHSC programs, Texas Medigap law, state retiree plans, the border with Mexico, Winter Texans and hurricane season. Each one starts with the short answer and links to its sources.
Signing up and Part B
How do I sign up for Medicare in Texas?
If you get Social Security benefits, you're enrolled automatically; otherwise you apply with Social Security online, by phone or at an office.
Do I need Part B if I'm still working?
Not if you have group coverage from current work at an employer with 20 or more employees; you can sign up later without a penalty.
Where is the Social Security office near me in Texas?
Enter your ZIP code in the ssa.gov office locator, and book an appointment before you go.
What are the Medicare phone numbers in Texas?
Medicare is 1-800-MEDICARE; Social Security is 1-800-772-1213; HHSC is 2-1-1; TDI is 1-800-252-3439.
Medigap in Texas
When can I buy Medigap in Texas?
Best during your six-month Medigap open enrollment period after you're 65 and have Part B; later, only with a guaranteed-issue right or by passing health questions.
Can I change Medigap plans in Texas?
You can apply any time, but Texas has no birthday rule, so the new company can usually ask about your health.
Can I get Medigap under 65 in Texas?
Yes: Plan A if you have a disability, and since 2025 the same choices as at 65 if you have ESRD or ALS.
Texas Medicaid, STAR+PLUS and help with costs
Does Texas Medicaid pay Medicare premiums?
Yes, if you qualify for an HHSC Medicare Savings Program: QMB, SLMB, QI or QDWI.
What is STAR+PLUS?
Texas Medicaid managed care for adults 65 and older and adults with disabilities, including long-term services and supports.
Can I have STAR+PLUS and Medicare Advantage?
Yes. You can choose Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan or a D-SNP, and integrated D-SNPs in five counties.
Texas retirees and the military
Do TRS retirees need Medicare Part B?
Yes. TRS-Care Medicare Advantage requires Part B; take Part A only if you get it without a premium.
Can ERS retirees choose their own Medicare plan?
Yes, but joining an outside plan moves you out of HealthSelect Medicare Advantage and Medicare Rx.
Does TRICARE For Life work with Medicare in Texas?
Yes. Medicare pays first and TFL pays second, as long as you keep Part A and Part B.
Changing plans
Can I switch Medicare Advantage plans after open enrollment?
Yes, once from January 1 to March 31, or when a Special Enrollment Period applies.
My Medicare Advantage plan is ending in 2027. What do I do?
Choose by December 31 to avoid a gap; your window runs to February 28, 2027, with Medigap rights for 63 days after your plan ends.
The border, Mexico and Winter Texans
Does Medicare work in Mexico?
Generally no, except in rare hospital cases; some Medigap plans cover emergencies abroad.
Can I use Medicare for prescriptions in Mexico?
No. Part D doesn't cover medicines bought outside the U.S., and bringing them back is restricted.
Can Winter Texans keep their Medicare Advantage plan?
Usually, but routine care may not be covered here, and more than six months away can end the plan.
Hurricanes and heat
What happens to my Medicare plan after a hurricane?
Coverage continues, plans relax network rules in declared disasters, and a Special Enrollment Period may open.
Does Medicare pay for an air conditioner or generator?
No. Texas utilities offer critical care and chronic condition protections instead.
Dental and fraud
Does Medicare cover dental in Texas?
Original Medicare covers dental only in limited medical situations, such as before a heart valve replacement.
How do I report Medicare fraud in Texas?
Call 1-800-MEDICARE or the HHS Inspector General; the Texas Senior Medicare Patrol can help.
Main topics
- Medicare basics and eligibility
- Enrollment periods, turning 65 in Texas and working past 65
- Medicare costs in 2026 and calculators
- Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D in Texas
- Texas Medicaid and Medicare and Medicare Savings Programs
- TRS-Care, ERS and Medicare and veterans and TRICARE
- Medicare in Mexico, border communities and Winter Texans
- Hurricanes and floods and extreme heat
- Plans ending in 2027 and Texas Medicare contacts
- Medicare glossary
Still have a question?
Official contacts for Medicare, Social Security, HHSC and TDI are on our Texas Medicare contacts page.
For help comparing plans from the companies they work with, you can talk with a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life at (512) 265-6565, TTY 711, or see plans in your ZIP code.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Get started with Medicare
- Texas HHSC — STAR+PLUS
- Texas Department of Insurance — Medicare supplement insurance guide
Frequently asked questions
Where do these answers come from?
Each answer is based on Medicare.gov, CMS rules, Social Security, Texas Health and Human Services, the Texas Department of Insurance, TRS, ERS, TRICARE and Texas law, and lists its sources at the bottom of the page. Medicare's rules are federal, so most answers apply nationwide; each page explains where Texas programs or geography change the picture.
Who can answer a question about my own situation?
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and Medicare.gov answer questions about Medicare itself, Social Security handles sign-up and Part B premiums, and Texas HHSC handles Medicaid and the Medicare Savings Programs. For help comparing plans, you can call a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life, at no cost to you.
Are 2027 amounts on these pages?
Dollar amounts on these pages are 2026 figures from CMS and are labeled with the year. Plan counts are from CMS's 2027 plan data. Check Medicare.gov for the newest premiums and deductibles.
Medicare in your Texas county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Harris · Dallas · Tarrant · Bexar · Travis · Collin · Denton · Fort Bend · Hidalgo · El Paso · Montgomery · Williamson · Cameron · Brazoria · Bell · Galveston · Nueces · Lubbock · Hays · Webb · McLennan · Jefferson · Brazos · Smith · Ellis · Johnson · Comal · Kaufman · Guadalupe · Midland · All 254 counties →
