Medicare Advantage

Merrillville Medicare: 68+ plan options in Lake County for 2026

Medicare in Merrillville: what to know about Lake County plan options and key dates for 2027 coverage.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — If you're shopping for Medicare coverage this fall, you have a lot to sort through. Merrillville is in Lake County, where 68 Medicare Advantage plans were available for 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plan landscape data. The 2027 lineup is spelled out in each plan's Annual Notice of Change and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. Knowing what those numbers mean can make the choice feel much less overwhelming.

What the numbers look like in Lake County

Plan availability is set at the county level, not by city or ZIP code. For 2026, Lake County had:

• 68 Medicare Advantage plans available to residents.
• 8 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (MA-PD).
• 0 stand-alone Part D drug plans listed in the county landscape file (people who want drug coverage typically get it through an MA-PD plan or another Part D option available in Indiana).

For context, roughly 89,442 people age 65 and older live in Lake County, so there's a large pool of neighbors making similar decisions this fall.

Why Medicare offers so many choices

Medicare has a few moving parts, and each one comes with options:

• Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is run by the federal government and covers hospital and medical care.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C) is offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. These plans bundle Part A, Part B, and usually Part D drug coverage.
• Part D is prescription drug coverage, either built into an Advantage plan or bought as a stand-alone policy.
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) helps pay some of the costs Original Medicare doesn't cover.

Each category has its own set of plans, which is why a single county can list dozens of Advantage options.

What's changing for 2027

A few program-wide updates are worth knowing before you compare plans:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: In 2026, you won't pay more than $2,100 out of pocket for covered prescription drugs in a calendar year.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowed deductible is $615 for 2026.
• No more "donut hole": As of 2025, the coverage gap was eliminated. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA thresholds: Higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

About Star Ratings

CMS gives Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts a Star Rating from 1 to 5 to reflect quality and member experience. In the Lake County landscape for 2026, the count of contracts rated 4 stars or higher was listed as 0. Ratings can shift year to year and don't tell you everything about whether a plan fits your doctors, drugs, and budget. Use them as one piece of information — not the only one.

Key dates to remember

• Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026. This is when you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 – March 31. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you can make one change during this window.
• Initial Enrollment Period: The 7-month window around your 65th birthday.

How to compare with 68 options on the table

That's a lot of plans to look at. A few steps can make it easier:

1. List your prescriptions, doctors, and preferred pharmacies before you start. 2. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to enter your ZIP code and drugs, then filter results. 3. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (24/7) with specific questions. 4. Contact Indiana SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free, one-on-one counseling that isn't tied to any insurance company.