Medicare in Delaware

Medicare enrollment in Delaware

As of February 2026, there were 255,750 people enrolled in Medicare in Delaware.¹

Medicare covers both aged (65+) and disabled populations (including people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)). In Delaware, 92% of Medicare beneficiaries are eligible due to being at least 65 years old, versus just 8% who are eligible due to a disability.¹

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

Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment in Delaware

As of February 2026, there were 83,466 Delaware Medicare beneficiaries with Medicare Advantage coverage, which was about 33% of the state’s total Medicare population.¹

Nationwide, about 51% of Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Advantage coverage as of February 2026.² Medicare Advantage enrollment has been increasing steadily since the mid-2000s,³ but Original Medicare remains much more popular in Delaware than it does in many other states, with about 67% of Delaware Medicare beneficiaries opting for Original Medicare.¹

Plan availability varies by county, but the average Medicare beneficiary in Delaware can select from among 21 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 Delaware

As of 2024, 66,434 Delaware residents supplemented their Original Medicare with private Medigap coverage.⁵

Twenty-two insurers were offering Medigap policies in Delaware as of 2026.⁶

Learn how Medigap plans are regulated and standardized.

Delaware’s Medigap birthday rule

Under federal rules, there is no annual window to switch from one Medigap plan to another without medical underwriting. But Delaware enacted legislation in 2025 to create a Medigap “birthday rule.”⁷

Starting in January 2026, Delaware Medigap enrollees have an annual plan-change window, starting 30 days before their birthday and continuing for “at least” 30 days after their birthday. During this window, Medigap enrollees can switch to a different Medigap policy that offers the same or lesser benefits, without medical underwriting.⁸

Access to Medigap for Delaware residents under 65

Under federal rules, people are granted a six-month window, when they’re at least 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, during which Medigap coverage is guaranteed issue. But federal rules do not guarantee access to a Medigap plan if you’re under 65 and eligible for Medicare as a result of a disability.

States can set their own rules, however, and Delaware enacted a law in 2013⁹ that grants a six-month guaranteed issue window for Medigap when people become eligible for Medicare as a result of a disability.¹⁰

Delaware allows Medigap insurers to charge higher premiums when the applicant is under age 65, and even higher premiums if the person has kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, or ESRD).¹¹

Because Delaware’s rules allow Medigap insurers to have separate risk pools (and premiums) for under-65 Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD, Medigap premiums have historically been dramatically higher for under-65 Delaware residents with ESRD.¹²

Under federal Medigap rules, all Medicare beneficiaries have a guaranteed-issue open enrollment period when they’re at least 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare Part B. So enrollees in Delaware who are under-65, including those with ESRD, have the option to get a new plan with standard age-65 rates when they turn 65.

Learn how Medigap plans are regulated and standardized.

Medicare Part D plan availability and enrollment in Delaware

As of February 2026, 139,413 Medicare beneficiaries in Delaware were enrolled in stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.¹

For 2026 Medicare Part D enrollment, there are 10 stand-alone Part D plans providing service in Delaware, with monthly premiums starting at $0/month.¹³

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 Delaware

Have questions about Medicare enrollment or Medicare eligibility in Delaware?

• The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (formerly called Elderinfo) answers questions related to Medicare in Delaware. Visit the website or call 1-800-336-9500 or (302) 674-7364 for help over the phone or to arrange an in-person visit.
• The Delaware Prescription Assistance Program helps low-income seniors afford their medications. Download an application from their website or call 1-844-245-9580 for assistance.
• The Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) provides assistance to elderly and disabled Delaware residents. The phone number is 1-800-223-9074.
• The Medicare Rights Center provides information geared to Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and professionals.