Medicare 2026

SHIP counselors and licensed Medicare agents in Belleville

SHIP counselors and licensed Medicare agents in Belleville — plain-language Medicare information for Belleville, Illinois.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Picking a Medicare plan can feel like homework you didn't sign up for. The good news: if you live in Belleville, you don't have to sort it out alone, and you don't have to pay anyone to help you understand your choices.

Illinois has a free, state-run counseling program, and there are licensed agents in the area who work with Medicare plans. Knowing what each one does — and doesn't do — can save you time and stress.

Start with SHIP — it's free and it doesn't sell anything

SHIP stands for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. In Illinois, it's called the Senior Health Insurance Program, and it's run through the Illinois Department on Aging. SHIP counselors are trained volunteers and staff who help people compare Medicare options, review Part D drug coverage, understand bills, and apply for programs that help with costs.

The most important thing to know: SHIP counselors do not earn commissions. They do not sell plans. Their only job is to help you understand your choices so you can make your own decision.

You can reach Illinois SHIP by calling 1-800-252-8966 or by visiting ilaging.illinois.gov and searching for SHIP. They can point you to a counselor near Belleville, often through a local senior center or Area Agency on Aging.

When a licensed agent or broker makes sense

Licensed insurance agents can also help you look at Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. Agents are paid by the insurance companies whose plans they sell, so their advice may be limited to the carriers they are appointed with. That doesn't make them bad — many are knowledgeable and helpful — but it's a different relationship than SHIP.

A few tips if you go this route:

• Ask which carriers the agent represents. Some work with many; some work with only one or two.
• Ask them to explain the trade-offs, not just the highlights. A plan that looks great on paper may not include your doctor or your medication.
• You should never be charged a fee by an agent for helping you enroll in a Medicare plan.

What's actually available around Belleville

Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level. Belleville is in St. Clair County, where there were 56 Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, offered by 9 carriers that include drug coverage. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That's a lot of choices to sort through, which is exactly why sitting down with a counselor or agent — with your doctor list and medication list in hand — is worth the time.

Star Ratings, published each year by CMS, can also help you compare plan quality. They're a tool, not a verdict; a counselor can walk you through what the ratings measure.

Key 2027 numbers to keep in mind

A few program-wide figures apply no matter which plan you look at:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once your drug spending reaches that amount, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly payments if you choose.
• Higher-income enrollees may pay IRMAA surcharges, which start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows can lock you into a plan for the year, so it helps to make appointments early — SHIP counselors and agents both get busy in the fall.