Medicare 2026

How Lansing Residents Get Free Medicare Guidance via SHIP

LANSING, Mich. — If Medicare has ever left you staring at a stack of mail wondering who to trust, you're not alone. The good news for Lansing residents: you don't have to figure it out by yourself, and you don't have to pay someone to explain your options. Free, unbiased help is available right here in mid-Michigan through the state's official counseling program — and licensed agents can help too, as long as you know what each one does.

Free Medicare Help Is Closer Than You Think

Here's how to sort it out.

Start With MMAP, Michigan's SHIP

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). In Michigan, it's called MMAP — the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program. MMAP counselors are trained volunteers and staff who do not sell insurance. They don't earn commissions. Their only job is to help you understand your choices.

MMAP can help you:

• Compare Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans on Medicare.gov
• Review a denial or a confusing bill
• Check whether you qualify for programs that lower Part B or drug costs (like Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program)
• Understand the difference between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medigap
• Sort out enrollment timing and avoid late penalties

To reach MMAP, call 1-800-803-7174 or visit mmapinc.org to find a counselor near Lansing. Appointments fill up quickly during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), so it's smart to call early.

What a Licensed Agent Does Differently

Licensed insurance agents and brokers are a different resource. They are paid by the insurance companies whose plans they're appointed to sell. That's not a bad thing — a good agent knows the plans inside and out and can walk you through enrollment — but it's important to understand the difference:

• MMAP counselors are neutral and don't sell anything.
• Agents can only discuss the plans they're contracted with, and they earn a commission when you enroll.

If you work with an agent, ask which carriers they represent, whether they'll review your prescriptions and preferred doctors, and whether they can show you options across multiple companies (a "broker") or just one (a "captive" agent). Both types must be licensed by the state of Michigan and follow CMS marketing rules — for example, they can't call you out of the blue.

What's Available in the Lansing Area

Lansing sits in Ingham County, where 77 Medicare Advantage plans were offered in 2026 through 10 different carriers, according to CMS Plan Finder data. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Either way, it's a lot to sift through, which is exactly why a neutral counselor or a trustworthy agent can be so valuable.

About 42,000 Ingham County residents are 65 or older, so you're in good company if you're trying to make sense of it all.

Know the Big 2027 Numbers Before You Compare

Whether you sit down with MMAP or an agent, these program-wide 2027 figures will come up:

• $2,400 — the annual out-of-pocket cap on Part D prescription drug costs in 2027.
• $700 — the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge in 2027.
• The 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 your drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes — kicks in above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

These apply no matter which plan you choose, so use them as your baseline when someone quotes you numbers.

Mark These Dates

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