Medicare in Cook County by the numbers
| Cook County | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 2,963 | 1,696,217 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 16.7% | 15.4% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 3,823 | 2,041,931 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 2,225 | 1,148,032 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 58.2% | 56.2% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
With roughly 2,963 residents age 65 and older, Cook County is 108th among 159 Georgia counties for older residents. That group is 16.7% of its population, compared with 15.4% across Georgia. About 1,059 more people are 60 to 64 and are heading toward Medicare; our turning 65 guide explains their first steps. Among residents 65 and older, 58% are 65 to 74, 32% are 75 to 84 and 10% are 85 or older (Census 2023 estimates). Medicare Advantage enrollment in Cook County is 58.2% of people with Medicare, close to the Georgia average of 56.2%. 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 Cook County
Cook 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 3,753 Medicare beneficiaries in Cook County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Georgia average of 73. About 21% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, higher than the state figure of 12%. 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 Cook County, CMS reported about 591 emergency room visits and 293 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (560) and higher than it for hospital stays (223). About 10% 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.
Where you live decides which Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can join, and Cook County may have a different set of plans than the counties around it. We are not based in Cook County; we help Cook County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Cook County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists this hospital in Cook County:
- Southwell Medical, a Campus of TRMC — Adel (acute care; for-profit; no emergency department)
Network rules, not geography, decide whether a plan covers a hospital. We look up the hospitals and doctors you use and check them against each plan before you enroll. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Cook County: communities and ZIP codes
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Cook County at Adel (5,700), Sparks (2,029), Lenox (737), Cecil (283), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Cook County, that means areas such as 31620, 31627, 31647, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Cook 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.
- Georgia Access, Georgia’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.
- Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner: Georgia’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Cook County residents
Here is what we can help Cook County residents with, drawing on plans from many insurers: final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance and life insurance.
Ready to compare plans in Cook County?
Tell us your doctors and medicines and we will show you what fits. No cost, no pressure.
Get my plan comparisonMedicare guides for Cook County residents
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- What happens if you do nothing during open enrollment?
- Medicare 101 for families
Cook County compared with similar Georgia counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Hill County | 3,222 | 69.4% | 20% | Smaller city/town |
| Lamar County | 3,516 | 63.2% | 15% | Smaller city/town |
| Appling County | 3,538 | 61.8% | 20% | Smaller city/town |
| Bleckley County | 2,302 | 50.9% | 14% | Smaller city/town |
| Washington County | 3,651 | 64.3% | 14% | Smaller city/town |
| Emanuel County | 3,829 | 67.0% | 24% | Smaller city/town |
See every Georgia county in our Georgia directory or go to our Georgia Medicare hub.