Medicare in Montgomery County
Montgomery County includes Rockville, Silver Spring, Bethesda and Germantown. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 population estimates, about 187,319 county residents are age 65 or older, so choosing the right Medicare coverage is a decision many of your neighbors are making too.
Residents are served by hospitals and health systems including Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Suburban Hospital (Johns Hopkins Medicine) in Bethesda, and Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville. If you have Medicare Advantage, whether those hospitals and your doctors are in network depends on the plan you pick.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability, premiums and provider networks are set county by county, and they can change every year. That is why we check the plans offered where you live instead of assuming one option fits everyone. We are an independent agency licensed in Maryland, and we help Montgomery County residents by phone or video call.
The numbers behind Medicare in Montgomery County
| Montgomery County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 187,319 | 1,066,384 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 17.7% | 17.3% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 199,446 | 1,206,222 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 44,963 | 298,863 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 22.5% | 24.8% statewide |
Figures come from the Census Bureau and CMS (September 2026).
With roughly 187,319 residents age 65 and older, Montgomery County is 1st among 24 Maryland counties for older residents. That group is 17.7% of its population, compared with 17.3% across Maryland. Another 67,334 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). Census 2023 estimates show 56% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 31% is 75 to 84 and 13% is 85 or older. About 22.5% of people with Medicare in Montgomery County are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. That is close to the Maryland average of 24.8%. A county average does not tell you which kind of plan fits you. Whether Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is the better fit depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and how you want to handle costs, so we compare both for your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is a metro county; the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes it as: counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more. Metro counties usually have more hospitals and more insurers competing for Medicare members, so there can be more plans to compare.
CMS counts 192,671 Medicare beneficiaries in Montgomery County (2023). Their average age is 75, older than the Maryland average of 73. About 17% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 17%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Montgomery County, CMS reported about 466 emergency room visits and 178 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is lower than the state average for emergency visits (555) and lower than it for hospital stays (217). About 8% 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.
Montgomery County: communities and ZIP codes
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Montgomery County at Gaithersburg (69,563), Rockville (67,297), Takoma Park (17,464), Poolesville (5,720), Chevy Chase (2,866), Kensington (2,108), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within Montgomery County number 48: 20812, 20814, 20815, 20816, 20817, 20818, 20832, 20833, 20837, 20838, 20839, 20841, 20842, 20850 and 34 more. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about your Medicare options?
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.
- Maryland Health Connection, Maryland’s own health insurance exchange, if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Maryland Insurance Administration: Maryland’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Montgomery County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Montgomery County households, including Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities and Medicare Advantage.
Let's check your Montgomery County options together
We will confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, by phone or video call.
Get my plan comparisonMedicare guides for Montgomery County residents
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- Medicare 101 for families
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Can I change my Medicare plan after December 7?
Montgomery County compared with similar Maryland counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County | 157,919 | 25.8% | 16% | Metro |
| Prince George's County | 148,087 | 30.9% | 18% | Metro |
| Anne Arundel County | 97,887 | 19.8% | 11% | Metro |
| Baltimore City | 89,474 | 36.8% | 36% | Metro |
| Howard County | 53,280 | 19.3% | 15% | Metro |
| Harford County | 47,686 | 24.8% | 12% | Metro |
See every Maryland county in our Maryland directory or go to our Maryland Medicare hub.