Medicare Advantage

A Snapshot of Medicare Plan Options Around Gulfport

Gulfport, Miss. — If you're comparing Medicare coverage on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for 2027, it helps to know what the landscape actually looks like across nearby communities. Plan availability is set county by county, and the number of choices can shift as you move from one part of the metro to the next. Gulfport sits in Harrison County, so that's the county whose numbers shape what most local shoppers see.

How plan availability works around the metro

Medicare Advantage and Part D availability is defined by CMS at the county level, not the city level. That means someone in Gulfport, Biloxi, or Long Beach — all in Harrison County — sees the same overall pool of plans. Cross into Hancock or Jackson County, and the count can look different because it's a different service area.

This is why two neighbors a few miles apart can end up comparing different menus. When you look at plan finders or brochures, the county line is doing more work than the ZIP code.

What Harrison County looks like for 2026

According to CMS Medicare Plan Finder and Landscape data, Harrison County has 70 Medicare Advantage plans available, offered by 10 carriers. Stand-alone Part D plans are counted separately at the state/region level rather than the county level, so shoppers who want drug-only coverage should check Plan Finder for the current Mississippi region list.

With roughly 35,050 residents age 65 and older in the county, that's a sizable pool of neighbors weighing the same set of choices each fall.

Why the count alone doesn't decide it

A big number of plans is not the same as a big number of right plans for you. Two things matter more than the raw count:

1. Your doctors and hospitals. Networks vary plan by plan. A plan that works well for a friend may not include your cardiologist. 2. Your prescriptions. Each plan has its own drug list (formulary) and pharmacy network. The same medication can be handled very differently across plans.

Star Ratings, published by CMS, are one more piece of information — they measure things like customer service and care quality. They're a data point, not a recommendation.

Key Part D numbers to keep in mind

A few program-wide figures apply no matter which county you live in:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit that, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional way to spread your yearly drug costs into monthly payments.
• IRMAA surcharges for higher-income beneficiaries start above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Dates to circle

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Annual Enrollment Period. You can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you're already in an MA plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare (and add a Part D plan).

How to sort through your options

A good process beats a long list every time:

1. Write down your doctors, your regular prescriptions, and the pharmacies you actually use. 2. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare and enter your ZIP code and drug list. Plan Finder will show which Harrison County plans cover your medications and include your providers. 3. Read the Summary of Benefits for any plan you're seriously considering. 4. If you want free, unbiased help, call Mississippi's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — known locally as MICAAA/MDHS SHIP — or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.