Medicare 2026

Medicare help in Quincy: SHIP counselors and local agents

QUINCY, Ill. — Picking a Medicare plan can feel like reading a foreign language. Between mailers, TV commercials, and phone calls that start the moment you turn 64, it's hard to tell who is actually looking out for you.

Straight answers, not a sales pitch

The good news: Quincy has free, unbiased help available — and you don't have to figure this out alone. Here's how to find it, and how licensed agents fit into the picture when you're ready to compare plans.

Start with SHIP — Illinois's free counseling program

Illinois runs a Senior Health Insurance Program, known as SHIP. SHIP counselors are trained volunteers and staff who help people with Medicare one-on-one. They do not sell insurance, they do not earn commissions, and they don't push any particular plan.

SHIP can help you:

• Understand the differences between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D.
• Compare drug plans using the official Medicare Plan Finder.
• Check if you qualify for programs that help pay premiums or drug costs, like Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program.
• Sort out billing problems or appeal a denied claim.

To reach an Illinois SHIP counselor, call 1-800-252-8966 or visit ilaging.illinois.gov. You can also call 1-877-839-2675 (the national SHIP locator) to be pointed to the closest office serving Adams County.

Local aging services in Adams County

Quincy sits in Adams County, and the local Area Agency on Aging can point you toward SHIP counselors and other senior services nearby. The West Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging in Quincy is a common starting point, and many public libraries and senior centers host Medicare information events, especially in the fall before the Annual Enrollment Period.

If you prefer in-person help, call ahead — appointments fill up quickly between October 15 and December 7 each year.

When a licensed agent makes sense

SHIP counselors are wonderful for education and comparisons, but they can't enroll you in a plan. That's where a licensed insurance agent or broker comes in.

A few things to know:

• Independent agents are appointed with several carriers and can walk you through more than one option.
• Captive agents work for a single insurance company and can only offer that company's plans.
• Agents are paid a commission by the insurance company, not by you. Their help is free to the consumer, but the set of plans they can offer is limited by which carriers they represent.

Adams County had 27 Medicare Advantage plans available for 2026, offered by 6 carriers, according to CMS Plan Finder data. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That's a lot to sift through, which is one reason many people use both SHIP (for a neutral overview) and an agent (to actually enroll).

Note: Illinois has 12 stand-alone Part D plans for 2026, sold statewide, and the 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder — if you have Original Medicare and want drug coverage, ask SHIP or an agent to walk you through your options carefully.

Know the numbers before you meet with anyone

Whether you sit down with SHIP or an agent, understanding a few program-wide facts will make the conversation easier:

• 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: up to $615 in 2026 and up to $700 in 2027 (plans can charge less).
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments — ask if it makes sense for you.
• IRMAA — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes — starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Mark the enrollment windows

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people compare and switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.