What Medicare Advantage Plans Are Available in Memphis, Tennessee?

Typical carrier presence

Memphis residents typically have access to several Medicare Advantage plans from national carriers such as UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Cigna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, with many carrying no added monthly premium beyond standard Medicare Part B. Because Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level, the exact lineup available to Memphis residents matches what's offered across Shelby County as a whole, and can differ from a nearby city that happens to sit in a different county.

What '$0 premium' actually means. A $0-premium Medicare Advantage plan in Memphis doesn't mean free healthcare — you still owe copays, coinsurance, and potentially a deductible when you actually use care, and you continue paying your standard Medicare Part B premium to the federal government regardless of which Advantage plan you pick.

Checking your specific doctors. Before enrolling, confirm your preferred doctors and hospital are in-network and that your regular prescriptions are on the plan's formulary — these details vary significantly between Memphis-area plans that otherwise look similar on paper.

When you can enroll

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 each year, allowing anyone to switch Medicare Advantage plans or move between Original Medicare and Advantage. A separate Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, allowing one additional switch.

Special Needs Plans. Some Memphis residents may qualify for a Special Needs Plan, a category of Medicare Advantage plan tailored to people with specific chronic conditions, those who are dual-eligible for Medicare and TennCare, or residents of an institution such as a nursing home.

Medigap as an alternative. Instead of Medicare Advantage, some Memphis residents choose to stay on Original Medicare and add a Medigap (supplemental) policy, typically paired with a standalone Part D drug plan purchased separately.

Local context for Memphis

Memphis has an unusually dense hospital sector for its size, including St. Jude, Baptist Memorial, and Methodist Le Bonheur, which supports comparatively strong specialist networks even within lower-cost HMO plans.

How county lines affect what you can buy. Memphis sits in Shelby County, and that matters differently depending on which kind of coverage you're shopping. Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level by CMS, so the lineup available to you is Shelby County's lineup specifically. ACA Marketplace carrier participation is set at the ZIP code level instead, which means two addresses within Memphis can occasionally see slightly different carrier options. Our Shelby County guide covers the county-level picture in more depth.

Where Tennessee's rules differ from most states. Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid, so adults in Memphis without children or a qualifying disability generally cannot get TennCare regardless of income. Statewide, an estimated 81,000 to 95,000 Tennesseans fall into the resulting coverage gap. Children frequently still qualify for CoverKids even where a parent qualifies for nothing, and both programs are applied for through TennCare Connect at tenncareconnect.tn.gov rather than through HealthCare.gov.

What to have ready before requesting a quote. Whatever direction you lean in Memphis, the same handful of details makes any quote meaningful: your exact ZIP code, the ages of everyone being covered, a realistic estimate of household income for the year, and a short list of the doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions you want covered. Averages are a starting point, but the final number always comes down to those specifics, and a licensed Tennessee agent can run them at no cost to you.

Why it pays to re-check every year. Coverage decisions in Memphis are not set-and-forget. Carrier participation, provider networks, drug formularies, and premiums all reset annually, and Tennessee insurers received one of the largest average rate increases in the country for 2026 at roughly 37.5% on full-price individual premiums. Roughly 77% of Tennessee Marketplace enrollees still receive a premium tax credit, averaging about $455 a month, which absorbs much of that increase for subsidized households but none of it for those above the cliff. A plan that was the best value last year may not hold that position now, and letting coverage auto-renew without comparing is the most common way households here quietly overpay.