Benewah County, Idaho
Medicare Plans in Benewah County, Idaho: Your Complete 2027 Guide
CMS lists no Medicare Advantage plans for sale in Benewah County for the 2027 plan year. That is not a gap in this page, it is the actual market: residents here build coverage from Original Medicare, a Medicare Supplement policy and a standalone Part D drug plan. Here is how that works, and what is available.
Page last reviewed: · Plan data: CMS CY2027 Landscape file (202610) · Enrollment data refreshed: CMS monthly file, October 2026 · Reviewed by the Personal Touch Ins. & Benefits Data Desk
Every figure on this page comes from the CMS CY2027 Landscape file and the CMS October 2026 enrollment file. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 5 organizations which offer 300 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Plan availability and benefits change each plan year, so confirm anything here with a licensed agent before you enroll.
Health Profile: Chronic Conditions in Benewah County
Plan choice is not just arithmetic. The conditions that are common where you live shape which drug lists, specialist networks and plan types actually matter. These are the CDC's model-based estimates for Benewah County adults, measured against the Idaho average.
Adult prevalence in Benewah County vs Idaho (2023)
Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data (2023 release), crude prevalence among adults. Idaho figures are population-weighted averages computed across all 44 counties from the same CDC table.
Based on an estimated 8,064 adults in a total county population of 10,369 (CDC PLACES, 2023 release).
Standalone Part D Drug Plans
A standalone Part D plan is what you add when your medical coverage does not already include drugs. That means people on Original Medicare, people who pair Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, and anyone on a Medicare Advantage plan that does not bundle Part D. Idaho has 8 standalone Part D plans for 2027, and every one of them is sold statewide, so the list below is the same in Benewah County as it is in Boise.
For 2027 the standard Part D deductible is capped at $700, and your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs is capped at $2,400 for the year. What separates these plans is the formulary, meaning the plan’s list of covered drugs and the pricing tier each one sits on, plus the pharmacy network and the tier your specific prescriptions land on, which is why we run your actual drug list rather than comparing premiums.
| Plan | Monthly premium | Annual deductible |
|---|---|---|
| Wellcare Classic (PDP) Wellcare | $7.30 | $700 |
| Humana Basic Rx Plan (PDP) Humana | $30.60 | $700 |
| AARP Medicare Rx Saver from UHC (PDP) UnitedHealthcare | $92.70 | $700 |
| HealthSpring Assurance Rx (PDP) HealthSpring | $94.80 | $700 |
| Plan | Monthly premium | Annual deductible |
|---|---|---|
| Wellcare Value Script (PDP) Wellcare | $5.30 | $700 |
| Humana Value Rx Plan (PDP) Humana | $34.70 | $687 |
| Humana Premier Rx Plan (PDP) Humana | $134 | $350 |
| AARP Medicare Rx Preferred from UHC (PDP) UnitedHealthcare | $238 | $300 |
Basic plans follow Medicare's defined standard benefit or an actuarially equivalent version of it. Enhanced plans add coverage beyond the standard benefit, often a lower or waived deductible, usually for a higher premium. A higher premium does not automatically mean lower total cost for you, and that is the calculation we run.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) in Benewah County
Medigap is the other path. Instead of replacing Original Medicare the way a Medicare Advantage plan does, a Medigap policy sits alongside it and pays the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves behind. There is no network, so any provider in the country who accepts Medicare accepts your Medigap plan. That freedom is the whole point of it.
| Question | Medigap |
|---|---|
| Works with Original Medicare | Yes, that is the design |
| Has a provider network | No, any provider who accepts Medicare |
| Includes drug coverage | No, you add a standalone Part D plan |
| Benefits standardized by law | Yes, Plan G is Plan G at every carrier |
| Medical underwriting | Usually none during your Medigap Open Enrollment, often required after |
Two Idaho timing rules are worth knowing. Your six month Medigap Open Enrollment starts the month you are 65 and enrolled in Part B, and during it a carrier cannot turn you down or charge you more for your health history. After that, Idaho's birthday rule gives you a window of roughly 63 days starting on your birthday each year to switch to a plan with equal or lesser benefits without answering health questions. Moving to richer benefits usually means underwriting, which is why the plan you start with matters more than people expect.
We do not publish Medigap premiums here. Rates vary by carrier, age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household discount, and any number we printed would be wrong for most readers. Call 208-350-9933 and we will quote the carriers we represent against your actual details. See our Medicare Supplement page or compare with the Medigap cost comparison calculator.
Where Benewah County Residents Get Care
Up in the Panhandle, healthcare often means a mix of hometown clinics and bigger systems like Kootenai Health, and Medicare networks treat each one differently. Distance matters here, which is why we weigh telehealth benefits, mail-order pharmacy, and travel coverage more heavily for North Idaho clients than we might for someone five minutes from a major hospital.
| County seat | St. Maries |
| Communities we serve | St. Maries, Plummer, and everywhere between |
| Population | 10,369 (CDC PLACES, Census-derived) |
| Region | North Idaho |
| Hospital systems serving the area | Benewah Community Hospital and Kootenai Health, among others. Networks vary by plan, so we verify yours before you enroll |
| How we serve it | By Zoom or phone, statewide. Same full comparison, no travel |
How We Help in Benewah County
- Pull the current Benewah County plan lineup, which is set county by county and changes every year
- Verify your exact doctors and clinics around St. Maries against each plan's network before you enroll
- Run your actual prescription list against each plan's formulary and preferred pharmacies, including mail order
- Compare Medigap options that work with any doctor who accepts Medicare, anywhere you travel
- Check whether you qualify for a Special Needs Plan, Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program
- Re-check your coverage every Annual Enrollment Period, because plans change and so should the comparison
Run the numbers yourself
Free Tools for Benewah County
Free, no sign-up, nothing saved. These run in your browser, and an AI assistant can call them directly through our published tool manifest.
Enrollment window finder
Tell it your birthday and situation and it tells you which enrollment window you are in and when it closes.
Find my window →Medigap cost comparison
Compare what Plan G and Plan N would cost you across a year, including the gaps each one leaves.
Compare Medigap →Late penalty estimator
See what a late Part B or Part D enrollment would add to your premium, for as long as you have Medicare.
Estimate the penalty →All 10 calculators are on the calculators page.
When Can Benewah County Residents Enroll or Switch?
- Initial Enrollment Period. A seven month window around your 65th birthday, three months before through three months after. This is the cleanest time to start, with no penalties and no health questions for Medigap. See our turning 65 checklist.
- Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7. Join, drop or switch Medicare Advantage and Part D plans for the coming year. Coverage starts January 1. Our enrollment periods guide walks through every window.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, January 1 to March 31. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan you get one switch, or you can drop back to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan.
- Special Enrollment Periods. Moving, losing employer coverage, losing Medicaid or a plan leaving your county each open a window outside the normal seasons. Most run 60 days.
- Your birthday, every year after. Idaho's Medigap birthday rule gives you roughly 63 days to switch to an equal or lesser Medigap plan with no health questions.
Every appointment happens over Zoom or the phone, so where you are in the county makes no difference to the help you get.
Official Resources We Walk You Through in Benewah County
A few parts of Medicare are handled by the government directly. Here is where those live, and we walk Benewah County clients through every one of them.
- Social Security handles Medicare enrollment itself. Apply online in about ten minutes at ssa.gov/medicare or call 1-800-772-1213.
- Extra Help lowers Part D premiums and copays for people with limited income and resources. Benewah County residents apply through Social Security.
- Your Health Idaho is the state's official exchange for anyone under 65, at yourhealthidaho.org. Idaho runs its own exchange, so ACA coverage here never goes through the federal site.
- Veterans. VA coverage and Medicare can work alongside each other, and holding both is common. VA care does not count as creditable drug coverage in every case, so it is worth checking before you skip Part D. Start at va.gov/health-care.
Common questions
Benewah County Medicare FAQs
How many Medicare Advantage plans are available in Benewah County?
None. CMS lists no Medicare Advantage plans for sale in Benewah County for 2027, which means coverage here is built from Original Medicare plus a Medicare Supplement policy and a standalone Part D drug plan.
What does a Medicare Advantage plan cost in Benewah County?
There are no Medicare Advantage plans sold in Benewah County for 2027, so the local cost question is really about Medigap premiums plus a standalone Part D plan. Call 208-350-9933 and we will price it against your details.
Are there Medicare plans in Benewah County for people with diabetes or heart conditions?
No Special Needs Plans are sold in Benewah County for 2027. A Medigap policy paired with a standalone Part D plan chosen around your prescriptions is usually the strongest option here for people managing chronic conditions.
Which standalone Part D drug plan should I pick?
Idaho has 8 standalone Part D plans for 2027, 4 basic and 4 enhanced, and all of them are sold statewide rather than county by county. The right one depends entirely on your prescriptions, because the same drug can sit on a cheap tier in one plan and an expensive tier in another. For 2027 the standard deductible is capped at $700 and your out-of-pocket drug spending is capped at $2,400. We run your actual list through each plan rather than comparing premiums.
Is Medigap or Medicare Advantage better in Benewah County?
Neither is better in the abstract, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Medigap pairs with Original Medicare, has no network so any provider who accepts Medicare accepts it, and needs a separate Part D plan. Medicare Advantage bundles everything, usually costs less month to month, and ties you to a network. In a county like Benewah the deciding question is usually whether the providers you actually use are inside a local plan's network, and how far you travel for specialist care. We lay both paths side by side and you decide.
Do you have an office in Benewah County?
No, and you do not need us to. Every appointment happens over Zoom or the phone, so Benewah County residents get exactly the same comparison as anyone else in Idaho without leaving St. Maries. Our mailing address is in Boise, and our Idaho City office in Boise County is the one place we meet face to face, by appointment.
Does your help cost anything?
Nothing, ever. Carriers pay us at rates set by CMS, and your premium is identical whether you enroll through an agent, directly with the plan, or on your own. The difference is that someone compared every Medigap and Part D option available to you first and checked them against your doctors and prescriptions.
How do I get started?
Call 208-350-9933. Patricia answers, gathers the basics, your doctors, your medications and what matters most to you, and books a Zoom or phone appointment. Most Benewah County comparisons take a single relaxed call.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 5 organizations which offer 300 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Sources, Citations & Methodology
Every number on this page traces to a published federal file. Nothing here is estimated, scraped from a competitor, or filled in by hand.
| What it covers | Source | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|
| Plans, premiums, out-of-pocket maximums, deductibles, star ratings, SNP and Part D detail | CMS CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape file (202610) | October 25, 2026 |
| Plan-level enrollment by county | CMS Monthly Enrollment by Contract, Plan, State and County, October 2026 | October 25, 2026 |
| Idaho statewide Medicare totals | CMS 2027 Landscape State-by-State Fact Sheets | October 25, 2026 |
| 2027 Part D standard deductible and annual out-of-pocket cap | CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement (Part D parameters) | October 25, 2026 |
| Idaho Medigap birthday rule and state insurance rules | Idaho Department of Insurance | October 25, 2026 |
| Chronic condition prevalence and county population | CDC PLACES county data (2023 release) | October 25, 2026 |
Methodology
Medicare Advantage figures count every non-SNP MA and MAPD plan CMS lists for Benewah County in the CY2027 Landscape file. Special Needs Plans are excluded from those counts and reported in their own section, and standalone Part D plans are statewide and never counted as Medicare Advantage plans. Averages are unweighted means across the plans in each group, rounded to the cent. The $0 premium and average premium headlines use the Part C premium, which is the figure CMS headlines; where a plan bundles drug coverage the consolidated Part C plus D premium is reported separately and labeled. Star ratings are the published CMS Overall Star Rating, and plans CMS has not rated are shown as not rated rather than counted as low. Enrollment comes from the CMS October 2026 monthly file, and rows CMS suppresses for privacy are skipped rather than estimated, which makes every enrollment total on this page a floor. Chronic condition prevalence is CDC PLACES model-based small area estimation from BRFSS survey responses, not a direct count, and the Idaho comparison figures are population-weighted averages we computed across all 44 counties from the same CDC table.
Compiled and reviewed by the Personal Touch Ins. & Benefits Data Desk. This page is educational and is not a plan recommendation, a quote, or a statement that any plan is best for you. Confirm anything here with a licensed agent before you enroll.
Ready for an Honest Comparison in Benewah County?
We will compare Medigap policies and all 8 Idaho Part D plans against your doctors and your prescriptions, and tell you plainly which ones deserve a look. Free, over Zoom or the phone, with zero pressure.
Nearby: Bonner County · Boundary County · Kootenai County · All 44 Idaho counties