Medicare 2026

Free Medicare help in Georgetown: how to reach a SHIP counselor or licensed agent

Sorting through Medicare in Georgetown does not have to mean guessing. Whether you are turning 65, moving here from another state, or reviewing your coverage during fall enrollment, you have two well-established places to turn for real answers: a state-trained SHIP counselor who does not sell anything, and licensed insurance agents who can walk you through the plans sold in your area. Knowing which one to call — and when — can save you hours of frustration.

What SHIP is, and why it is free

SHIP stands for State Health Insurance Assistance Program. It is a federally funded, state-run service that gives Medicare beneficiaries and their families free, unbiased, one-on-one help. SHIP counselors do not sell insurance, do not work on commission, and do not favor one carrier over another. In Texas, the program is called the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP, and it is coordinated through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission along with local Area Agencies on Aging.

For Georgetown residents, that local agency is the Capital Area Area Agency on Aging, which serves Williamson County and the surrounding region. A trained counselor can sit with you — by phone, video, or in person — and go over your Medicare options, help you read a plan's Summary of Benefits, or help you file an appeal.

How to reach a SHIP counselor from Georgetown

There are a few reliable ways to connect:

• Call the Texas HICAP line at 1-800-252-9240 to be routed to a counselor near you.
• Contact the Capital Area Area Agency on Aging, which covers Williamson County.
• Use the national SHIP locator at shiphelp.org to confirm the current local phone number and hours.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) if you need general Medicare help or want to be pointed to your state's SHIP.

Counselors can help you understand Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies, and financial assistance programs like Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs.

When a licensed agent makes sense

SHIP counselors are excellent for education and side-by-side comparisons, but they cannot enroll you in a specific private plan. That is where a licensed insurance agent or broker comes in. Agents are appointed by carriers, follow CMS marketing rules, and can quote and submit applications for the plans they represent.

A few things to know before you meet with one:

• Ask which carriers they are appointed with. Some agents represent many; others represent only one.
• You should never be pressured. CMS rules require agents to give you a Scope of Appointment form before discussing Medicare Advantage or Part D.
• It is fair to ask an agent to explain how they are paid. Commissions are set by CMS and do not come out of your premium.

Georgetown is in Williamson County, where CMS listed 72 Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 from 11 different MA-PD carriers. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That is a lot to sift through, and a good agent — or a SHIP counselor helping you use Medicare Plan Finder — can narrow the field to plans that match your doctors and medications.

What to have ready before you call

Whether you call SHIP or an agent, you will get further faster if you have:

• Your red, white, and blue Medicare card (or your Medicare number).
• A list of your prescriptions, with dosages.
• The names of your doctors and preferred hospitals or pharmacies.
• A rough idea of your income, in case you qualify for Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program.

For 2026, the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100, and the maximum Part D deductible is $615. The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four. If your drug costs are uneven month to month, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread Part D costs across the year. Higher-income beneficiaries should also ask about IRMAA, the income-related surcharge that begins above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

Watch the calendar

Two enrollment windows drive most Medicare decisions:

• The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7. Changes made during this window take effect January 1.
• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and lets people already in a Medicare Advantage plan make one change.

If you are new to Medicare, your Initial Enrollment Period is tied to your 65th birthday. SHIP counselors and licensed agents can both help you figure out which window applies to you.