Medicare Part D

Medicare Help in Lafayette: Free, Unbiased Local Guidance

If you live in Lafayette and Medicare feels like a maze, you are not alone. Between mailers, TV ads, and phone calls, it can be hard to tell who is really on your side. The good news: free, unbiased help is available locally, and licensed agents can walk you through your options at no cost to you.

Lafayette, La. — Where to turn when Medicare gets confusing

Here is a plain-English guide to who does what in the Lafayette area, plus the numbers and dates you should know as you look at 2027 coverage.

Start with SHIIP — Louisiana's free Medicare counseling

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (called SHIP nationally). In Louisiana, it goes by SHIIP — the Senior Health Insurance Information Program — and it is run by the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

SHIIP counselors are trained volunteers and staff who do not sell insurance. They can help you:

• Understand Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Part D.
• Compare drug plans on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.
• Sort out billing questions or a denied claim.
• Screen for programs that help with premiums and drug costs, like Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs.

How to reach SHIIP in Louisiana: Call 1-800-259-5300 or visit the Louisiana Department of Insurance website and search "SHIIP." Local Council on Aging offices in Acadiana can also connect you with a counselor.

What licensed agents in Lafayette can (and can't) do

A licensed Medicare agent can walk you through Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and enroll you if you choose one. Agents are paid by the insurance company, not by you.

A good agent will:

• Ask about your doctors, medications, and pharmacies before suggesting anything.
• Be appointed with multiple carriers, so you see a real comparison.
• Explain the trade-offs honestly, including when Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy might fit better.

If an agent pressures you or won't put things in writing, walk away. You can also verify a Louisiana agent's license through the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The Lafayette-area landscape at a glance

Lafayette is in Lafayette Parish, where Medicare plan choices are set at the parish (county) level by CMS. For the 2026 plan year, according to CMS Medicare Plan Finder data:

• 49 Medicare Advantage plans are available in Lafayette Parish.
• 7 carriers offer Medicare Advantage with drug coverage (MA-PD) in the area.
• Stand-alone Part D plans are also sold statewide in Louisiana — SHIIP or an agent can help you compare them.

Star Ratings (CMS's 1-to-5 quality score) are one factor to consider, but they are not the whole story. What matters most is whether a plan covers your doctors, your drugs, and your preferred pharmacy.

Medicare numbers worth knowing for 2027

A few program-wide facts that apply to everyone on Medicare, not just Lafayette:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (plans can set theirs lower).
• The old "donut hole" is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA (the higher-income surcharge on Part B and Part D) kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. This is when most people can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for 2027. A choice made in this window takes effect January 1, 2027.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you are already in an MA plan, you get one chance during this window to switch to another MA plan or return to Original Medicare.

Missing these windows usually means waiting a full year, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (moving, losing other coverage, etc.).