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Medicare Plans in St. Louis, MO: Where to Start

Most people on Medicare in St. Louis end up in one of two places: a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan or a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy paired with a drug plan. Maybe you're about to turn 65, maybe you just retired from a hospital job or a downtown office, or maybe you only want to know if your current plan still makes sense. Either way, it helps to see how the two paths differ. Annual Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7.

Below you'll find how Medicare works for people in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, which plan types are sold here, and how to line a plan up with your doctors, your drugs and your budget.

  • Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan comparison
  • Medicare Supplement (Medigap) guidance
  • Turning 65 enrollment support
  • Part D prescription drug matching
Talk Through My Medicare Options Call us: 314-463-5815
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Have a local team look over your Medicare options

A licensed insurance agent compares your doctors, your prescriptions and your likely costs with the plans we represent in your St. Louis ZIP code, then tells you straight which ones fit. It costs you nothing.

Talk Through My Medicare Options Call us: 314-463-5815

What to expect

Free review
  • A licensed agent calls you back during business hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT
  • Your doctors and prescriptions get checked before any plan is suggested
  • No fee for our help, and your premium is the same either way
  • No obligation to enroll, and no pressure if you'd rather stay put
Call us: 314-463-5815

Reviewed by the licensed insurance agents at St. Louis Senior Insurance. Last reviewed: October 2026. Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT.

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Type in your date of birth to see your Initial Enrollment Period, the best month to apply and the earliest date coverage could start.

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Two Ways to Build Your Medicare in St. Louis

After you have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), you decide how to fill in the rest. Across the St. Louis area, nearly everyone goes one of these two ways.

Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C)

A Medicare Advantage plan is one private plan, approved by Medicare, that handles all of your coverage. Plans sold in the St. Louis area usually cover:

  • Hospital stays and doctor visits
  • Drug coverage in most plans
  • A set network of doctors and hospitals
  • Copays plus a yearly out-of-pocket cap

Many add dental, vision or hearing allowances. How much those extras are worth changes from plan to plan.

People like Advantage for the low premium and the extras. The tradeoff is the network. St. Louis has several big hospital systems (BJC, Mercy, SSM Health and the independent St. Luke's), and a plan may contract with some of them and not others. Plans also differ between the city, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, so check your doctors in your own ZIP code. More on Medicare Advantage in St. Louis.

Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap)

A Medicare Supplement sits behind Original Medicare and pays much of what Medicare doesn't, like deductibles and coinsurance. You can see any doctor in the country who takes Medicare. There's no network and no referral, and your bills stay steady from month to month.

Medigap doesn't cover drugs. You buy a separate Part D plan for your prescriptions.

It suits people who see specialists in more than one hospital system, spend winters out of state, or would rather pay a higher premium than face surprise bills. Missouri also lets Medigap members switch companies once a year around their policy anniversary. See Medicare Supplement plans in St. Louis.

Advantage or Supplement: A Quick Look

How the two stack up at a glance.

Medicare Advantage

  • You stay inside a network
  • Premiums are often low, sometimes $0
  • You pay copays, up to a yearly cap
  • Plan details can change every January

Medicare Supplement

  • Pairs with Original Medicare
  • Premiums run higher
  • Little or nothing owed at the doctor
  • Benefits are set by law and don't change

Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D, compared

The table shows where the three kinds of coverage part ways. You choose Medigap or Medicare Advantage, not both. Part D is the drug plan you add when you pick Medigap.

Medicare Supplement

Medigap · pairs with Original Medicare

What it covers
Your share of Part A and Part B costs, including deductibles, copays and coinsurance.
Doctor networks
None. Any provider in the U.S. who accepts Medicare.
Monthly premium
Highest of the three, plus your Part B premium.
Costs when you use care
Little to nothing after the Part B deductible on Plan G.
Prescription drugs
Not included. You add a separate Part D plan for that.
Extras (dental, vision, hearing)
Not included. Buy standalone if you want them.
Health questions to enroll
None during your 6-month open enrollment; underwriting applies later.
Best if you
Travel often, see specialists frequently, and want predictable bills.
Medicare Supplement details

Medicare Advantage

Part C · all-in-one private plan

What it covers
Hospital, medical and usually drugs, bundled into one plan with one card.
Doctor networks
HMO or PPO network. Confirm your BJC, Mercy or SSM Health doctors are in it.
Monthly premium
Often $0, plus your Part B premium.
Costs when you use care
Copays per visit and per service, capped by an annual out-of-pocket maximum.
Prescription drugs
Included in most St. Louis area plans.
Extras (dental, vision, hearing)
Commonly included, with allowances that vary a lot by plan.
Health questions to enroll
None. Acceptance is guaranteed during a valid enrollment period.
Best if you
Are settled with your local providers and want low premiums plus extras.
Medicare Advantage details

Part D Drug Plan

Prescriptions only · add-on

What it covers
Prescription medications only. Nothing medical.
Doctor networks
Pharmacy network only. Preferred pharmacies usually cost less.
Monthly premium
Low monthly premium, plus your Part B premium.
Costs when you use care
Deductible and tiered copays based on the plan's drug list.
Prescription drugs
This is the drug coverage.
Extras (dental, vision, hearing)
Not included.
Health questions to enroll
None.
Best if you
Chose Medigap or Original Medicare and need drug coverage.
Part D Drug Plan details

Neither path wins for everyone. Your health, the doctors you want to keep, the drugs you take and your monthly budget all point you one way or the other. Read the longer Advantage vs. Medigap guide for St. Louis, or have us price both for you.

St. Louis ZIP Codes We Serve

St. Louis Senior Insurance helps people on Medicare across the city, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, including these ZIP codes:

  • 63104
  • 63109
  • 63110
  • 63111
  • 63116
  • 63118
  • 63119
  • 63122
  • 63123
  • 63125
  • 63129
  • 63017
  • 63031
  • 63033
  • 63301
  • 63303

Don't see yours? Look over our full St. Louis service area. We also work by phone with people in Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Mehlville, Oakville, Affton, Chesterfield, Florissant and St. Charles.

Annual Enrollment: Oct 15 to Dec 7

Every year, plans can change their networks, drug tiers and premiums. A free review tells you whether yours still works.

Your drug list sets the real price

We price your exact prescriptions in the Part D plans we represent in your ZIP code and show you the full-year cost of each.

Turning 65 in St. Louis, MO

For anyone turning 65 in St. Louis, the Initial Enrollment Period comes first. It opens three months before your birthday month and closes three months after it.

If you let it pass, you could owe late penalties or have fewer plans to pick from later. Getting started early keeps every option open. Our turning 65 in St. Louis guide lays out each month.

  1. 1

    Sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B

  2. 2

    Choose a Medicare Advantage plan

  3. 3

    Or choose a Medigap policy, usually with no health questions in your first six months

  4. 4

    Add a Part D drug plan if you go the Medigap route

Local Medicare Help in St. Louis, MO

You'll live with your Medicare choice for at least a year, and you can make it with help from someone local.

For plain answers on Medicare Advantage, Medigap or turning 65, St. Louis Senior Insurance is a phone call away. You'll talk with a licensed insurance agent who knows the Medicare rules and the hospitals around St. Louis.

Care here is spread across several systems. BJC runs Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Christian Hospital. Mercy has Mercy Hospital St. Louis and Mercy Hospital South. SSM Health runs Saint Louis University Hospital, DePaul, St. Clare and St. Joseph in St. Charles. St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield is independent. Veterans can use the John Cochran and Jefferson Barracks VA medical centers. Whether you live in South City, West County or across the river in St. Charles, the right plan is one your own doctors and hospital take. If you use the VA, mention it when you call, since VA care and Medicare work side by side.

Questions

Medicare in St. Louis: common questions

When can I sign up for Medicare or make changes in St. Louis?
Your first chance is the Initial Enrollment Period, a seven-month stretch built around the month you turn 65. Each fall after that, Annual Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, and whatever you choose starts January 1. Read more on Open Enrollment in St. Louis.
How much is Part B in 2026?
Most people pay the standard Part B premium of $202.90 a month in 2026. The yearly Part B deductible is $283. If your income is higher, you pay more, and Medicare looks at the tax return you filed two years back.
Will a Medigap policy pay for my prescriptions?
No. Medigap plans sold today leave drugs out. People who choose Medigap usually buy a separate Part D drug plan so they don't pick up a late enrollment penalty.
Can I carry Medicare Advantage and Medigap together?
No. You pick one or the other. A Medigap policy can't pay your costs in a Medicare Advantage plan. The two are laid out side by side on Advantage vs. Medigap.
Is there free Medicare counseling in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri SHIP is the state's free counseling program (it went by CLAIM until 2023). Trained volunteers answer questions at 800-390-3330. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are free too.
What do I pay to work with you?
Nothing. The insurance companies pay our agents, and your premium is the same whether you sign up through us or go straight to the plan.

Related services and support

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Senior Resources in St. Louis

Missouri SHIP counseling, Social Security, Metro Call-A-Ride and meal programs.

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Medicare FAQ

Sign-up windows, network checks, and what our help costs (nothing).

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Compare your St. Louis Medicare options with our team

We start with your doctors and your drugs, then price Advantage and Medigap next to each other. No fee and no pressure.

Request a free review 314-463-5815
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