Medicare 2026

Medicare guidance in West Hartford: SHIP and licensed agents

If you live in West Hartford and Medicare feels confusing, you're not alone. Between mailers, TV ads, and phone calls that ramp up every fall, it can be hard to know who's actually on your side. The good news: you have free, unbiased local help available — and you also have licensed agents nearby if you want one-on-one guidance choosing a plan. Here's how to tell the difference, and how to use each the right way.

Getting Medicare help in West Hartford, without the sales pitch

Start with CHOICES — Connecticut's SHIP

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). In Connecticut, it's called CHOICES, run through the State Department of Aging and Disability Services. CHOICES counselors are trained volunteers and staff who do not sell insurance and do not earn commissions. That means their job is simply to help you understand your options.

CHOICES can help you:

• Understand Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Part D drug plans, and Medigap.
• Compare plans available in Hartford County using Medicare's official Plan Finder.
• Review your prescriptions and pharmacies before you enroll.
• Check whether you qualify for programs that lower your costs, like Extra Help or the Medicare Savings Program.
• Sort out billing problems or appeals.

To reach CHOICES, call Connecticut's aging and disability services line at 1-800-994-9422, or visit portal.ct.gov/aging-and-disability and look for the CHOICES program. West Hartford residents can also ask about counseling appointments through the North Central Area Agency on Aging, which serves the Hartford region.

What licensed agents and brokers can (and can't) do

Licensed insurance agents are another option, and many people in West Hartford use them. A good local agent can walk you through Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, handle the enrollment paperwork, and stay in touch year after year if something changes.

A few things to know:

• Agents are paid commissions by the insurance companies whose plans they sell.
• Most agents are "appointed" with only certain carriers, so they can only quote the plans they're contracted to sell.
• They're required by Medicare rules to record your calls, explain the scope of what they'll discuss, and never pressure you.

If you work with an agent, it's fair to ask which carriers they represent, whether they'll review your drug list, and whether they'll be available after enrollment if you have a claim question.

Why local help matters in Hartford County

Plan availability is set at the county level. West Hartford is in Hartford County, where there were 45 Medicare Advantage plans offered for 2026, from 8 carriers with drug coverage included. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Connecticut has 11 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, which is worth talking through with a counselor if you want to stay on Original Medicare and add drug coverage.

That's a lot of choices to sort through alone. Both CHOICES and licensed agents can help narrow the field based on your doctors, prescriptions, and budget — not on what's advertised loudest.

Key numbers to know before your appointment

Whether you meet with a CHOICES counselor or an agent, these are the program-level facts worth having in mind as you compare 2027 coverage:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone. As of 2025, Part D has three simpler phases.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. You can choose to spread your drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — kicks in above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• Star Ratings are CMS's 1-to-5 quality measure for plans. They can be one data point in your decision, but they're not the whole story.

Dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Appointments with SHIP counselors and reputable agents fill up fast in October and November. Booking early is one of the simplest ways to avoid a rushed decision.