Harris County at a glance
From CMS's public county-level Medicare file. The figure describes the county as a whole, not any one person's options.
Medicare in Harris County (CMS data)
CMS counts 666,617 people in Harris County as eligible for Medicare, and about 61% of them (409,562) are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (CMS, September 2026).
Harris County's Medicare population
In CMS's September 2026 county file, Harris County had the largest Medicare-eligible population of Texas's 254 counties, and a little under two in three of those residents were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
The exact share was about 61%. A county share describes the county as a whole, not any one person. Everyone else gets Medicare another way, most often Original Medicare, and the two paths differ on provider networks, how costs are shared and how coverage works away from home.
If the two paths are new to you, read what Medicare is for a plain-language overview of Parts A, B, C and D.
Reviewing your coverage during the Annual Enrollment Period in Harris County
People with Medicare in Harris County can review their coverage each year from October 15 through December 7, and changes made then take effect on January 1.
Each fall, people with Medicare in Harris County can review their current coverage during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7. Plans can update their costs, provider networks and covered drugs from one year to the next, and may also change which counties they serve, so each member receives an Annual Notice of Change that explains what will be different. Reading it, and checking your own doctors and prescriptions against the plan, is the usual first step. Our Annual Enrollment Period guide explains what you can do in that window. If a life event such as a move opens a different window, the Special Enrollment Periods guide covers the common ones.
The area agency on aging for Harris County
Texas organizes its area agencies on aging by county or region. The Texas Health and Human Services directory lists the Harris County Area Agency on Aging at 8000 North Stadium Drive in Houston, with phone numbers 832-393-4301 and 800-213-8471. The directory shows Harris County as the only county that office serves.
Texas's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, HICAP, offers one-on-one Medicare counseling statewide, and the Texas Department of Insurance runs a consumer Help Line. Both are listed on the Medicare in Texas guide.
Medicare enrollment periods in Harris County
Medicare's enrollment windows are set by federal rules, so they are the same in Harris County as everywhere else. The 2026 Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period take effect January 1, 2027.
IEP
Initial Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period is your personal seven-month window around your 65th birthday. It opens three months before the month you turn 65 and closes three months after. This is when most people enroll in Medicare for the first time.
AEP
Annual Enrollment Period
The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During AEP, people with Medicare can enroll in, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. Changes made during AEP take effect on January 1 of the following year.
MA OEP
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31. During this window, people already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can make one change: to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or back to Original Medicare, with or without a Part D plan. The change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets the request.
SEP
Special Enrollment Periods
Special Enrollment Periods open when specific life events happen, such as losing employer coverage or moving to a new area. The timing depends on the event, and Medicare.gov explains the rules for each one.
Where to get Medicare help in Harris County
These public programs are listed by official sources. Each one links to the page it came from.
Area agency on aging for Harris County
The Texas Health and Human Services directory lists the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, at 8000 North Stadium Drive in Houston, as the area agency on aging serving Harris County. Its listed numbers are 832-393-4301 and 800-213-8471.
Medicare counseling (SHIP)
Texas's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is the Health Information, Counseling, and Advocacy Program, known as HICAP. It offers in-depth, one-on-one counseling and assistance with Medicare. Phone: 1-800-252-9240.
Source: SHIP TA Center (shiphelp.org)
State insurance consumer help
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) runs a consumer Help Line at 800-252-3439, open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. TDI's website also explains how to get help with an insurance question or complaint.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance
How a licensed independent agent helps in Harris County
A licensed independent insurance agent can explain how the parts of Medicare fit together, walk through the enrollment windows that apply to you, and review the plans the agent offers in Harris County. The review is educational, and there is no obligation to enroll.
Counselors at a State Health Insurance Assistance Program do not sell insurance. An agent can help with an application, but can only discuss the plans that agent offers, which is why the plan-availability disclosure appears next to the request button on this page.
Before a review, it can help to read about the Annual Enrollment Period and the Special Enrollment Periods that open after certain life events. The Medicare in Texas guide covers the statewide counseling program and consumer contacts.
Have questions? Review your options with a licensed agent.
Review your Medicare options in Harris County
Answer a few questions and a licensed agent will follow up to walk through the plans they offer in your area. Educational, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
Licensed Insurance Agent | NPN: 19291077 · Licensed in 25+ states · No obligation · Privacy Policy
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
This is a solicitation for insurance.
Empathy Insurance Advisors is not a real estate, tax, or financial planning firm.
FAQ
Medicare questions from Harris County
Other county guides in Texas
The same educational guide for other Texas counties.
Continue learning
Related reading
Medicare in Texas
Enrollment periods, statewide counseling and consumer help in Texas.
Read more
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
What the October 15 through December 7 window allows.
Read more
What is Medicare?
A plain-language beginner's guide.
Read more
Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
Life events that open a window outside AEP.
Read more