Medicare in Montana (2026): A Plain-English Guide
A plain-English look at Medicare across Montana for 2026: what the parts cover, when you can enroll, what it costs, and how to think about Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare and Medigap — no rankings.
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How old are you?
This helps match you with options you’re eligible for.
Do you have Medicare Parts A & B?
This affects which Medicare options you can choose.
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Advertising disclosure: MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated when you contact a partner or licensed agent. Listings are not ranked or endorsed by us, and we do not recommend specific plans. You can also contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
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The parts of Medicare
Your two main paths
Almost everyone takes one of two directions with Medicare, and neither is universally right — it depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget, and how you like to handle care. Statewide, about 30% of Montana Medicare members use Medicare Advantage rather than Original Medicare — though that varies a lot by county.
Your Part A and Part B — and usually drug coverage — come through one private plan, within a network and a county-based service area.
You keep nationwide provider freedom and usually add a stand-alone Part D drug plan, plus often a Medigap policy to make your out-of-pocket costs predictable.
This section explains how each path works so you can decide for yourself. We provide educational information only, and we never rank or recommend specific plans.
Explore each part of Medicare in Montana
What Medicare costs in 2026
It helps to separate the costs everyone shares from the costs that vary by plan. The program-level numbers here are set nationally — the same whether you're in a big city or a rural county.
Part B premium. Most people pay the standard Part B premium of $202.9 a month in 2026. Part A is premium-free for most people who worked and paid Medicare taxes long enough.
Part D drug costs. In 2026, a Part D plan's yearly deductible can be no more than $615, and a new $2,100 cap now limits what you pay out of pocket for covered prescriptions across the year — a real change for anyone with high drug costs.
Higher earners pay more for Parts B and D through an income-related adjustment called IRMAA, which starts above $109,000 in annual income for an individual and is based on your 2024 tax return. Most people fall below that line and pay the standard amounts.
Plan-specific costs. What an individual plan charges — its premium, deductible, copays, and what it covers — varies by plan and changes yearly. We don't publish those figures or rank plans; Medicare's Plan Finder shows the current details for your situation, and a licensed agent can walk you through them.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Getting unbiased help in Montana
You never have to make these decisions alone, and you don't have to pay for good help. A few free, trustworthy starting points:
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained counselors who don't sell anything. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) are the official sources for plan details and the Plan Finder. Licensed agents can also compare options with you and handle enrollment.
And to be clear about who we are: MyMedicarePlans.org is a privately owned, independent educational resource. We are not Medicare, not a government agency, and not affiliated with one. We publish plain-language information to help you get oriented — then point you to the official sources and licensed professionals for decisions about specific plans.