Medicare in Rhode Island

Medicare enrollment in Rhode Island

As of February 2026, there were 250,412 people enrolled in Medicare in Rhode Island.¹ In most cases, individuals become eligible for Medicare enrollment at age 65, but individuals who have been receiving disability benefits for at least 24 months are also eligible for Medicare, as are those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Nationwide, about 91% of Medicare beneficiaries are eligible due to age (i.e., being at least 65).² In Rhode Island, more than 89% of Medicare beneficiaries are eligible due to age.¹

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

Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment in Rhode Island

As of February 2026, there were 150,391 people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans in Rhode Island, amounting to about 60% of the state’s Medicare population.¹

Nationwide, about 51% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in private Advantage plans as of early-2026.²

Medicare Advantage availability and service areas vary by county in most states. There are five counties in Rhode Island, and they all have Medicare Advantage plans available as of 2026.³ The average Medicare beneficiary in Rhode Island can choose from among 14 Medicare Advantage plans in 2026.⁴

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 Rhode Island

According to AHIP, 38,047 Rhode Island residents had Medigap plans in 2024,⁵ supplementing their Original Medicare coverage.

Federal rules provide a six-month window, when a person is at least 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, during which Medigap coverage is guaranteed issue. Federal rules do not, however, guarantee access to a Medigap plan if you’re under 65 and eligible for Medicare as a result of a disability.

Rhode Island Medigap access for beneficiaries under age 65

But many states, including Rhode Island, have implemented rules to ensure access to Medigap coverage for disabled Medicare beneficiaries. Since July 2023, all Rhode Island Medigap insurers have been required to offer Medigap Plan A to applicants who are under 65, as long as they apply within six months of becoming eligible for Medicare Part B.⁶

As is the case in most states that ensure Medigap access to enrollees under the age of 65, premiums are higher for these enrollees. They have another enrollment window that starts when they turn 65, during which they can switch to any Medigap plan available in the state, at the lower premiums that are charged when an applicant is 65.

Review Rhode Island’s minimum standards for Medigap plans.

Rhode Island’s annual Medigap plan change window

Just as federal rules do not guarantee access to Medigap before a person is 65, they also do not provide an annual enrollment window or plan change opportunity for Medigap. However, Rhode Island enacted legislation in 2025 that allows Medigap enrollees (who haven’t gone more than 90 days without Medigap coverage since their initial enrollment period) to switch to a different Medigap plan during the Medicare Annual Election Period (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7), with the new policy effective on January 1 of the coming year.⁷

Under federal rules, the Medicare Annual Election Period only applies to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans, but Rhode Island’s legislation ensures that a person with Medigap can choose a different Medigap plan during that window, without medical underwriting.

Learn how Medigap plans are regulated and standardized.

Medicare Part D plan availability and enrollment in Rhode Island

Original Medicare does not cover outpatient prescription drugs. But Medicare beneficiaries can get prescription coverage via an employer-sponsored plan (offered by a current or former employer), or Medicare Part D, which can be obtained as part of a Medicare Advantage plan or as a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

For 2026 coverage, there are 11 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans available in Rhode Island, with premiums that start as low as $8.40/month.⁸

As of February 2026, there were 65,283 Medicare beneficiaries in Rhode Island who were enrolled in stand-alone Medicare Part D plans.¹ An additional 144,342 beneficiaries had Medicare Part D coverage integrated with their Medicare Advantage 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 Rhode Island

Have questions about Medicare enrollment or Medicare eligibility in Rhode Island?

• The Rhode Island Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) provides information and assistance, and help with a variety of questions related to Medicare coverage in Rhode Island.
• The Rhode Island Insurance Division oversees, regulates, and licenses the insurance companies that offer coverage in the state, including Medigap plans. Their office can provide information and address inquiries and complaints about a wide range of insurance topics.
• The Medicare Rights Center is a nationwide service that can provide information and assistance with Medicare enrollment, eligibility, and benefits.