Essex County, Massachusetts
Medicare agents in Essex County, MA
Find a licensed agent with an office in Essex County, and see what Medicare looks like here: how many people have it, how many are in Medicare Advantage, and how many plans are offered for 2027.
Last reviewed October 27, 2026. General information, not advice about any plan.
Agents in Essex County
No agents with an office in Essex County are listed yet. Agents licensed anywhere in Massachusetts can help by phone or video: see agents in Massachusetts.
Before you meet anyone, check their Massachusetts license.
Medicare in Essex County
- People with Medicare
- 182,801
- In Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan
- 35% (64,491)
- With both Medicare and Medicaid*
- 25% (46,051)
Essex County ranks 3rd of Massachusetts's 14 counties by number of people with Medicare. 35% are in Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan, compared with 36% across Massachusetts. 25% also have Medicaid*, compared with 25% statewide.
Source: CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, July 2026, for the county and the state. Essex County has about 823,938 residents (Census, 2024). Medicare health plans include Medicare Advantage, cost plans and PACE, not Medigap or drug plans. *Includes people who get help only with Medicare costs from a Medicare Savings Program.
2027 plans offered in Essex County
- Medicare Advantage with drug coverage
- 27 plans, 11 with a $0 plan premium
- Medicare Advantage without drug coverage
- 8 plans
- Special Needs Plans
- 17 plans: 17 for people with both Medicare and Medicaid. Only people who qualify can join.
- Companies offering these plans
- 9
For comparison, the typical Massachusetts county has 27 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage for 2027.
Standalone drug plans in Massachusetts: 10 plans, with monthly premiums from $13.30.
Source: CMS 2027 plan landscape (updated October 2026), which lists plans by county. A $0 plan premium doesn't mean $0 costs: you still pay the Part B premium, plus copays, and plans differ in their yearly limit and in which doctors and drugs they cover. How to compare.
Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Essex County
Everything on this page applies across the whole county, including these places.
Cities and towns, largest first
ZIP codes
Source: Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 population estimates, the 2020 list of census-designated places, and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (which leave out ZIP codes used only for PO boxes). A place or ZIP code that crosses a county line is listed in each county it covers a real part of.
Free local help
- SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone)
- Massachusetts's free, unbiased Medicare counseling program. 1-800-243-4636 · Website
- The Massachusetts Division of Insurance
- Licenses agents and takes complaints. 1-877-563-4467 · How to check a license
- 1-800-MEDICARE
- 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
Massachusetts rules to know
- Switching Medigap plans
- Year-round rights. Insurers can't turn you down for Medigap at any time. Massachusetts uses its own plans (Core, Supplement 1 and Supplement 1A) instead of letters.
- Medigap under 65
- Required, with limits. Massachusetts insurers must sell any Medigap plan they offer (Massachusetts uses its own Core, Supplement 1A and, if you got Medicare before 2020, Supplement 1 plans) to people under 65 on Medicare because of a disability who apply within 6 months of starting Part B or during the yearly February 1 to March 31 open enrollment, but they do not have to cover people under 65 who have Medicare only because of kidney failure (ESRD).
- Agent licenses
- Agents must be licensed for health insurance in Massachusetts. Look one up.
Dates to know
- October 15 to December 7
- Open Enrollment: change Medicare Advantage or drug plans for the next year.
- January 1 to March 31
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: one change for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Turning 65
- A 7-month window around your birthday month. The checklist.
Moving to Essex County from another state opens a special enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and drug plans. It doesn't by itself let you buy Medigap without health questions. What to do.
Common questions
How many people in Essex County have Medicare?
In Essex County, 182,801 people had Medicare in July 2026, according to CMS. About 35% were in Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan; the rest had Original Medicare.
How many Medicare Advantage plans are offered in Essex County for 2027?
CMS lists 27 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage in Essex County for 2027 (11 with a $0 plan premium; you still pay the Part B premium), 8 without drug coverage, and 17 Special Needs Plans for people who qualify, from 9 companies. Medicare.gov's Plan Finder shows which ones cover your address, doctors and drugs.
Which towns does this page cover?
All of Essex County, including Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill, Peabody, Methuen, Salem, Beverly, Andover and 26 more. Medicare Advantage plans are generally offered county by county, so the plan counts here apply across Essex County.
Which ZIP codes are in Essex County?
01810, 01830, 01832, 01833, 01834, 01835, 01840, 01841, 01843, 01844, 01845, 01860 and 32 more, according to the Census Bureau. A ZIP code that crosses a county line can be listed in more than one county.
Where can I get free Medicare help in Essex County?
Massachusetts's free counseling program, SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone) (1-800-243-4636), gives unbiased one-on-one help. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) any time.
Will I pay more for a plan if I use an agent?
No. A plan's premium is set by the plan, and you pay the same whether you enroll through an agent, the plan, or Medicare.gov. Agents can't charge a fee to enroll you in a Medicare Advantage or drug plan.
Nearby
Keep reading
- How to find a good Medicare agent near youWhere to look for a local Medicare agent, how to narrow the list to one or two, and the five-minute checks to do before you share anything.
- Medicare Open Enrollment checklist: what to check before December 7A step-by-step checklist for the October 15 to December 7, 2026 Open Enrollment Period: what to read in your plan's letter, what's changing for 2027, what you can switch, and what happens if you do nothing.
- Medicare Advantage or Medigap? The questions that decide itNeither is better for everyone. How the two common Medicare set-ups differ, the questions that point to one or the other, and why the first choice is the hardest to undo.
Ready to talk to someone local?
Search by ZIP code. Verified agents are listed first, and every listing is free to contact.