Medicare in the District of Columbia

Medicare enrollment in the District of Columbia

As of February 2026, there were 97,382 residents with Medicare in the District of Columbia.¹

Most individuals become eligible for Medicare coverage at age 65. But Medicare eligibility is also triggered when a person has been receiving disability benefits for 24 months, or when an individual has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). About 10% of DC’s Medicare beneficiaries are under the age of 65.¹

• Read about Medicare’s open enrollment period and other important enrollment deadlines.
• Learn how Washington, D.C.’s Medicaid program can provide assistance to Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and assets.

Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment in Washington, D.C.

As of February 2026, about 34% of DC’s Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.¹

There are 16 Medicare Advantage plans available in DC in 2026,² down from 18 in 2025.³

Learn more about Medicare Advantage, Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, and the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period.

Sources: Medicare Advantage 2026 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Offerings, KFF.org, Dec. 9, 2025; Fact Sheet: Medicare Open Enrollment for 2026, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Sep. 26, 2025

Medicare supplement (Medigap) plan availability in Washington, D.C.

As of 2026, 13 insurers offered Medigap policies in Washington, D.C.⁴

Unlike other private Medicare coverage (Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans), there is no annual open enrollment window for Medigap plans. Instead, federal rules provide a one-time six-month window when Medigap coverage is guaranteed-issue. This window starts when a person is at least 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B. (You must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B to buy a Medigap plan.)

People who aren’t yet 65 can enroll in Medicare if they’re disabled and have been receiving disability benefits for at least two years, and more than 10,000 beneficiaries with Medicare in DC are under 65.⁵

Federal rules do not guarantee access to Medigap plans for people who are under 65, but the majority of the states have stepped in to ensure at least some access to private Medigap plans for disabled enrollees under the age of 65. Washington, D.C. does not require Medigap insurers to offer policies to beneficiaries who are under age 65. But according to Medicare’s plan finder tool, CareFirst does offer Medigap Plan A to these beneficiaries, albeit at much higher premiums.

In 2026, CareFirst’s Plan A premium ranges from $893 to $1,430 per month if the applicant is under 65.⁶ For an applicant who is 65, Medigap Plan A policies in DC start at just $107/month in 2026. (But CareFirst’s Medigap Plan A for age-65 applicants is also much more expensive, starting at $765/month in 2026.)⁶

When a disabled Medicare beneficiary turns 65, the individual has the normal six-month guaranteed-issue Medigap enrollment window that’s available to all enrollees. This allows them to pick from among any of the available plans, at the regular age-65 rates.

Learn how Medigap plans are regulated and standardized.

Medicare Part D plan availability and enrollment in DC

Insurers in the District of Columbia are offering 10 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans for sale in 2026, with premiums that start at $0/month.⁷

As of February 2026, there were 73,143 Medicare beneficiaries in Washington, D.C. with Medicare Part D prescription coverage.¹ The majority (more than 40,000 people) had stand-alone Medicare Part D plans, while the rest had Medicare Advantage plans with built-in Medicare Part D coverage.¹

Learn how Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage works, what it pays for, how and when to enroll.

Source: Fact Sheet: Medicare Open Enrollment for 2026, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Sep. 26, 2025

Resources for Medicare beneficiaries in DC

Have questions about Medicare enrollment or Medicare eligibility in Washington, D.C.?

• HICP, DC’s Health Insurance Counseling Project, provides general help with Medicare in DC.
• Visit the Department of Aging and Community Living website or call them at (202) 724-5626.
• The DC Office of Health Care Ombudsman and Bill of Rights has a compilation of resources for Medicare beneficiaries in DC.
• The Medicare Rights Center provides free counseling, education, advocacy, and policy work aimed at helping older adults and people with disabilities access affordable health care. The national helpline number is 1-800-333-4114.