Palo Pinto County Medicare at a glance
| Palo Pinto County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 6,081 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 20.4% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 7,123 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 3,226 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 45.3% | 54.9% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
With roughly 6,081 residents age 65 and older, Palo Pinto County is 98th among 254 Texas counties for older residents. That group is 20.4% of its population, compared with 13.7% across Texas. Another 2,183 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). Census 2023 estimates show 58% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 32% is 75 to 84 and 10% is 85 or older. Medicare Advantage enrollment in Palo Pinto County is 45.3% of people with Medicare, lower 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 Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County is a non-metro county with towns and small cities (USDA: urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, adjacent to a metro area). Care is often split between local providers and a bigger hospital elsewhere, which is worth testing against each plan’s network.
CMS counts 7,207 Medicare beneficiaries in Palo Pinto County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 11% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Palo Pinto County, CMS reported about 789 emergency room visits and 261 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is higher than the state average for emergency visits (580) and higher than it for hospital stays (226). About 11% 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.
Insurers choose which counties to serve each year, which means the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can pick in Palo Pinto County can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in Palo Pinto County; we help Palo Pinto County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Palo Pinto County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists this hospital in Palo Pinto County:
- Palo Pinto General Hospital — Mineral Wells (acute care; government-owned; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 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.
Palo Pinto County: communities and ZIP codes
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Palo Pinto County at Mineral Wells (15,278), Graford (717), Strawn (561), Gordon (489), Mingus (236), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within Palo Pinto County number 6: 76067, 76449, 76453, 76472, 76475, 76484. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about Medicare in Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Palo Pinto County households, including life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA and group health insurance.
Get a clear answer for Palo Pinto County
A short call is enough to compare your options. Our help is free to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- What Medicare Part D actually costs
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N
Palo Pinto County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grimes County | 6,103 | 50.8% | 9% | Smaller city/town |
| Jim Wells County | 6,252 | 70.9% | 26% | Smaller city/town |
| Cass County | 6,444 | 51.6% | 12% | Smaller city/town |
| Val Verde County | 6,444 | 60.4% | 27% | Smaller city/town |
| Milam County | 5,620 | 59.2% | 14% | Smaller city/town |
| Erath County | 6,704 | 44.6% | 13% | Smaller city/town |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.