Medicare in Kansas

Medicare enrollment in Kansas

As of February 2026, 605,902 Kansas residents were enrolled in Medicare.¹

About 91% of Medicare beneficiaries in Kansas became eligible when they aged in at 65, while about 9% are under 65 and eligible for Medicare due to a disability that has lasted at least 24 months.¹ (Individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) do not have to wait 24 months for Medicare eligibility.)

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

Medicare Advantage plan availability and enrollment in Kansas

Total Medicare coverage enrollment has been growing nationwide, but Medicare Advantage enrollment has been growing even faster. As of January 2026, nearly 34% of Medicare beneficiaries in Kansas (203,147 people) were enrolled in private plans obtained through Medicare Advantage insurers.¹

Medicare Advantage plan availability varies by area, and there are 21 counties in western Kansas where Medicare Advantage plans are not available in 2026. But the average Medicare beneficiary in Kansas can select from among 25 Medicare Advantage plans in 2026.²

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 Kansas

As of 2023, 248,247 Kansas residents were enrolled in Medigap plans.³

The Kansas Insurance Department publishes a Medigap buyer’s guide, available here. There are 39 insurers offering Medigap plans in Kansas for 2026.⁴

Medicare beneficiaries are granted a six-month window, when they turn 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, during which coverage is guaranteed issue for Medigap plans. 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.

But Kansas is among the majority of the states with rules to ensure at least some access to Medigap plans for enrollees under the age of 65. And the consumer protections in Kansas are among the nation’s strongest. In Kansas, all Medicare beneficiaries – including those who gain eligibility due to a disability and those who become eligible when they turn 65 – have the same guaranteed-issue access to Medigap coverage. (See page 4 of the Kansas Medigap buyer’s guide.)

Starting when a Kansas resident is enrolled in Medicare Part B (regardless of their age), they have a six-month window during which coverage is guaranteed issue for all available Medigap plans (you must also have Medicare Parts A to get a Medigap plan). As long as the person enrolls during their six-month open enrollment window, insurers are required to charge younger, disabled beneficiaries the same premiums that apply to a 65-year-old. This is a stronger consumer protection than most states have; in the majority of the states where Medigap plans are guaranteed-issue for people under age 65, the insurers are allowed to charge higher prices for that population.

As is the case in every state, Kansas residents who are enrolled in Medicare prior to age 65 still have a guaranteed-issue Medigap open enrollment period when they turn 65, regardless of whether they already had Medigap coverage prior to turning 65. But since Kansas does not allow Medigap insurers to charge higher rates for younger enrollees, this is not as important as it is in other states where disabled beneficiaries pay much higher premiums and can then switch to a lower-cost plan when they turn 65.

Learn what Medigap covers, who’s eligible for Medigap and when you can enroll.

Medicare Part D plan availability and enrollment in Kansas

As of February 2026, there were 304,998 Kansas Medicare beneficiaries with coverage under standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.¹ Another 182,505 Kansas Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage integrated with a Medicare Advantage plan.¹

For 2026 coverage, there are 12 standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans available in Kansas, with monthly premiums starting at $0 per month.⁵

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 Kansas

Need help with your Medicare application in Kansas? Got questions about Medicare eligibility in Kansas?

• SHICK – Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas answers questions related to Medicare in Kansas.
• The Kansas Insurance Department’s website provides a comprehensive Medigap resource for people filing for Medicare benefits in Kansas and wishing to supplement the coverage with a Medigap plan. The page includes a general information guide to Medigap plans as well as a rate comparison tool.
• Medicare.gov, maintained by CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) provides information about every aspect of Medicare, and includes a healthcare provider finder tool as well as a plan finder tool that can help you determine which insurers for Medigap, Medicare Part D, and Medicare Advantage are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
• The Medicare Rights Center provides Medicare-related assistance throughout the United States through a website and call center, offering consumers answers to a wide range of questions about Medicare.