Medicare Plans and Help in South County St. Louis

South County is a set of unincorporated communities, not one city. In the 2020 census, Oakville counted 36,301 residents, Mehlville 28,955 and Affton 20,417. Most hospital care here runs through Mercy Hospital South on Kennerly Road. To the west, SSM Health St. Clare Hospital sits on Bowles Avenue in Fenton. Veterans have the St. Louis VA Medical Center at Jefferson Barracks right in the neighborhood.

Because so many South County families lean on Mercy, ask one question first about any Medicare Advantage plan: is Mercy Hospital South in network this year, and are your Mercy doctors? If you also see someone at St. Clare, check that too. A Medicare Supplement such as Plan G or Plan N covers any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the country, which helps if you spend winters out of state. If you already have a Supplement, Missouri lets you move it to another company once a year around your policy anniversary, as long as you keep the same plan letter.

Veterans often keep Medicare alongside VA care. The VA doesn't bill Medicare, so the two pay separately. Some veterans keep Part B so they can use a nearby non-VA doctor, or so they're covered if they travel. That choice affects how much extra coverage makes sense, and we can walk through it with you. If your income is limited, ask Missouri SHIP about Medicare Savings Programs, which can pay the Part B premium.

For help close to home, Aging Ahead runs a South County senior center (314-631-8698) with lunches and activities, and the St. Louis County Library has a branch at Cliff Cave in Oakville. The Social Security office on Gravois Bluffs Boulevard in Fenton handles in-person questions. For free counseling, call Missouri SHIP. For plan prices in your ZIP code, call us.

Where to go from here: read how Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans differ, look at Part D drug costs, or lay out your turning-65 dates.