Medicare in Hidalgo County by the numbers
| Hidalgo County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 106,589 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 11.9% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 126,589 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 98,718 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 78.0% | 54.9% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
Hidalgo County ranks 10th of 254 Texas counties by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 106,589 people in that age group, or 11.9% of residents (statewide: 13.7%). The 37,053 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Census 2023 estimates show 56% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 33% is 75 to 84 and 11% is 85 or older. Medicare Advantage enrollment in Hidalgo County is 78.0% of people with Medicare, higher than the Texas average of 54.9%. Averages cannot choose a plan for you. Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap plan each suit different people, depending on doctors, medicines and how you prefer to handle costs, and we compare both at your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County sits in a metro area, which the USDA defines as counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population. That usually means more doctors, more hospitals and more plan choices in the area.
CMS counts 121,012 Medicare beneficiaries in Hidalgo County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 27% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, higher than the state figure of 11%. Where many people have both, special plans for dual-eligible members can matter; see our Medicaid and dual eligible guide, since availability varies by plan and area.
Among people in Original Medicare in Hidalgo County, CMS reported about 615 emergency room visits and 246 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and close to it for hospital stays (226). About 9% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, so the plans open to you in Hidalgo County may differ from those in a neighboring county. We are not based in Hidalgo County; we help Hidalgo County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Hidalgo County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Hidalgo County:
- Cornerstone Regional Hospital — Edinburg (acute care; for-profit; emergency services)
- Doctors Hosptal at Renaissance — Edinburg (acute care; physician-owned; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
- Driscoll Children's Hospital Rio Grande Valley — Edinburg (children's; nonprofit; emergency services)
- Knapp Medical Center — Weslaco (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 5 of 5)
- Mission Regional Medical Center — Mission (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 of 5)
- Rio Grande Regional Hospital — McAllen (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 of 5)
- South Texas Health System — Edinburg (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 of 5)
Being located in the county is not the same as being in your plan’s network. Each Medicare Advantage plan builds its own network, so we confirm that your hospital and your doctors are included before you choose. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Communities and ZIP codes in Hidalgo County
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Hidalgo County at McAllen (146,593), Edinburg (105,799), Mission (87,292), Pharr (80,410), Weslaco (43,053), San Juan (36,448), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Hidalgo County, that means areas such as 78501, 78503, 78504, 78516, 78537, 78538, 78539, 78540, 78541, 78542, 78543, 78549, 78557, 78558 and 15 more, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Hidalgo County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Hidalgo County residents
Here is what we can help Hidalgo County residents with, drawing on plans from many insurers: Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement (Medigap).
Let’s check your Hidalgo County options together
We confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Why a Medicare Advantage plan drops a doctor or drug
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
Hidalgo County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 99,841 | 52.2% | 6% | Metro |
| El Paso County | 117,006 | 74.9% | 12% | Metro |
| Fort Bend County | 118,950 | 55.6% | 10% | Metro |
| Denton County | 120,688 | 45.0% | 7% | Metro |
| Williamson County | 91,251 | 47.4% | 6% | Metro |
| Collin County | 142,320 | 42.7% | 8% | Metro |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.