Medicare 2026

Medicare help in Lakeville: SHIP counseling and licensed agents

LAKEVILLE, Minn. — If you're turning 65, helping a parent sort through mail, or just trying to make sense of your Medicare choices, you don't have to figure it out alone. Lakeville residents have two kinds of local help available: free, unbiased counseling through Minnesota's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and licensed insurance agents who can walk you through specific plans. Knowing the difference — and when to use each — can save you hours of confusion.

Start with SHIP for unbiased answers

In Minnesota, the SHIP program is called the Senior LinkAge Line, and it's run by the Minnesota Board on Aging. Counselors are trained to answer Medicare questions without selling you anything. They don't earn commissions. They don't push products. They simply explain how Medicare works and help you compare your options.

You can reach the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433, Monday through Friday. Counselors can help with:

• Understanding Part A, Part B, Part C (Medicare Advantage), and Part D
• Comparing plans side by side on Medicare's Plan Finder
• Reviewing your Extra Help or Medicare Savings Program eligibility
• Sorting out billing problems or appeals
• Explaining what a notice from Medicare or Social Security actually means

For many Lakeville residents, one call to SHIP is the fastest way to get a clear, honest answer.

When a licensed agent makes sense

SHIP counselors can explain the landscape, but they don't enroll you in a specific plan. That's where a licensed insurance agent or broker comes in. A good agent is appointed with multiple carriers and can walk you through the plans they're contracted to sell.

Lakeville is in Dakota County, where 37 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, offered by 6 carriers. The 2027 lineup is detailed in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That's a lot to sort through, and an agent who knows the local market can narrow the field based on your doctors, medications, and budget.

A few tips when working with an agent:

• Ask which carriers they represent. Some only sell one or two.
• Ask how they're paid. Agents earn commissions from carriers, not from you.
• You should never feel pressured. If you do, walk away.

What Medicare looks like heading into 2027

Whether you talk to SHIP or an agent, a few program-wide changes are worth knowing about heading into 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: Your prescription drug costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) for the year.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowed is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• Coverage gap eliminated: The old "donut hole" is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: You can choose to spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying all at once at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA: Higher-income enrollees pay a surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums. For single filers in 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income.

Know the enrollment windows

Timing matters. Two windows come up every year:

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

Missing these windows usually means waiting until the following year, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (a move, loss of other coverage, etc.).

A quick word on Star Ratings

You'll see Medicare plans rated on a 1-to-5 star scale. Stars measure things like customer service, member complaints, and how well a plan manages chronic conditions. They're a useful data point — but they're not the whole story. A plan with strong ratings may not cover your doctor or your specific medications. Always check the details against your own situation.