Alaska
Medicare help in Alaska
Free, unbiased counseling, help paying premiums and drug costs, how to check an agent before you talk to one, and the Alaska rules that affect your Medigap choices.
Free counseling
Medicare Information Office
Alaska Medicare Information Office (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) is Alaska's State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Trained counselors answer Medicare questions, compare plans with you and help you apply for savings programs, at no cost. They don't sell insurance.
Call 1-800-478-6065Visit the Medicare Information Office website
Help paying for Medicare in Alaska
If your income and savings are limited, these programs can lower your premiums and drug costs. Many people who qualify never apply.
Medicare Savings Programs
Alaska Medicaid runs Alaska's Medicare Savings Programs. They pay your Part B premium, and the fullest one (QMB) also pays Part A premiums, deductibles and copays. You don't need to qualify for full Medicaid.
Alaska's limits are higher than in most states because Alaska has its own federal poverty guidelines. From April 1, 2026, income can be up to $2,265 a month single or $3,064 for a couple, with savings up to $9,950 single or $14,910 for a couple.
Extra Help with drug costs
Extra Help is a federal program, run by Social Security, that lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays. Income and resource limits are higher in Alaska than in most states. If you get a Medicare Savings Program, Medicaid or SSI, you get Extra Help automatically. Apply with Social Security.
Alaska drug assistance program
Medicare.gov lists no general state drug assistance program for people with Medicare in Alaska. Start with Extra Help; Alaska's free SHIP counselors can help you apply.
Sources: Medicaid.gov state contacts, Alaska's own Medicaid pages and Medicare.gov's state program list, checked October 27, 2026. Limits change every year; confirm with Alaska Medicaid before you apply. How Extra Help and savings programs work.
Check an agent's license in Alaska
The Alaska Division of Insurance licenses insurance agents in Alaska. Before you share personal information, look the agent up by name or National Producer Number (NPN) and make sure their license is active and includes health insurance.
Medigap rules in Alaska
Switching plans later
Alaska has no yearly switching window. After your first 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, insurers can ask health questions before selling you a different policy, unless you have a federal guaranteed issue right. How switching works.
If you're under 65
Alaska doesn't require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65, though some may. You get your own Medigap Open Enrollment Period when you turn 65. More on Medigap under 65.
Source: NAIC state Medigap chart, May 11, 2026. Confirm with the Alaska Division of Insurance before changing coverage.
Dates that apply everywhere
- October 15 to December 7: Open Enrollment, when you can change Medicare Advantage and drug plans. All enrollment periods
- January 1 to March 31: people in Medicare Advantage can switch plans or go back to Original Medicare once.
- Around your 65th birthday: your 7-month window to sign up. Turning 65
Common questions in Alaska
Where can I get free Medicare help in Alaska?
Alaska Medicare Information Office (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) is Alaska's State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Its counselors help with Medicare questions for free and don't sell insurance. Call 1-800-478-6065.
How do I check a Medicare agent's license in Alaska?
The Alaska Division of Insurance licenses insurance agents. Use its license lookup to search by the agent's name or National Producer Number (NPN), or call 907-269-7900.
How do I get help paying Medicare premiums in Alaska?
Apply for a Medicare Savings Program through Alaska Medicaid (1-800-478-7778). These programs pay your Part B premium, and sometimes your deductibles and copays. Alaska's limits are higher than in most states because Alaska has its own federal poverty guidelines. From April 1, 2026, income can be up to $2,265 a month single or $3,064 for a couple, with savings up to $9,950 single or $14,910 for a couple. Alaska's free SHIP counselors (1-800-478-6065) can help you apply.
Does Alaska help pay for prescriptions?
Medicare.gov lists no general state drug assistance program for people with Medicare in Alaska. Extra Help, a federal program run by Social Security, lowers Part D premiums and copays for people with limited income, and Alaska's free SHIP counselors (1-800-478-6065) can check whether you qualify.
Does Alaska have a Medigap birthday rule?
Not as of the NAIC's May 11, 2026 chart. Outside your first 6-month Medigap window and federal guaranteed issue rights, insurers in Alaska can ask health questions before selling you a different policy.
Can I buy Medigap under 65 in Alaska?
Alaska doesn't require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65, though some may. You get a full Medigap Open Enrollment Period when you turn 65.
State contacts checked against official Alaska sites on October 26, 2026. General information, not advice about a specific plan. How we check facts.