Medicare Advantage

Bedford Medicare 2026: 19 Advantage Plans in Hillsborough County

Bedford, New Hampshire — If you're turning 65 soon or already reviewing your Medicare coverage for 2026, one of the first questions is simple: how many choices do I actually have? Here's a plain-language snapshot of what's available in and around Bedford this year.

What's on the menu in Hillsborough County

Bedford is in Hillsborough County, where 19 Medicare Advantage plans are available for 2026, according to the CMS Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape files. Four carriers offer Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (MA-PD) in the county.

For stand-alone Part D drug plans — the kind you'd pair with Original Medicare — the county-level MA-PD carrier count above doesn't cover that separate lane, and availability of stand-alone drug plans is reported separately by CMS. If you're staying with Original Medicare and need drug coverage, use the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov to see the full list of stand-alone Part D options serving your ZIP code.

With more than 73,000 residents age 65 and older in Hillsborough County, that's a lot of neighbors sorting through the same decision you are.

Advantage, Original, and drug coverage — a quick refresher

Medicare has a few moving parts, and knowing which "lane" you're in makes counting your options easier:

• Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is the federal program. You can add a stand-alone Part D drug plan and, if you choose, a Medigap (supplement) policy.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C) is offered by private insurers approved by Medicare. These plans bundle Parts A and B, and most include Part D drug coverage.
• Part D is prescription drug coverage, either built into an Advantage plan or purchased on its own.

The 19 figure above refers to Medicare Advantage plans in the county. Medigap and stand-alone Part D are counted differently and are worth reviewing on their own.

What Star Ratings mean (and don't mean)

Every year, CMS publishes Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage and Part D contracts on a 1-to-5 scale. Ratings look at things like customer service, member complaints, and clinical measures.

For 2026, no contracts serving the Hillsborough County area carry a rating of 4 stars or higher in the current CMS data set. That's a data point, not a verdict — ratings shift year to year, and the "right" plan is the one whose network, drug list, and costs fit your situation. Use ratings as one input, not the whole story.

2026 program facts worth knowing

Beyond the local counts, a few nationwide Medicare rules are changing or worth reconfirming for 2026:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for the year. Once your drug spending hits that amount, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs out in monthly installments instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when most people compare and switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for the next year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in an Advantage plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, so it's worth putting them on the calendar now.