Medicare in El Paso County by the numbers
| El Paso County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 117,006 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 13.5% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 155,388 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 116,425 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 74.9% | 54.9% statewide |
Sources: Census Bureau 2023 estimates and CMS Medicare Advantage penetration, September 2026.
Among Texas’s 254 counties, El Paso County comes in 9th for residents age 65 and up (117,006). Older adults make up 13.5% of the population here; the state figure is 13.7%. The 44,617 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Among residents 65 and older, 59% are 65 to 74, 31% are 75 to 84 and 10% are 85 or older (Census 2023 estimates). CMS data show 74.9% of El Paso County residents with Medicare chose Medicare Advantage, which is higher than the 54.9% average across Texas. What most people do in a county is less important than what fits you. We weigh Medicare Advantage against Original Medicare with Medigap using your doctors, your drugs and your budget.
Who has Medicare in El Paso County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies El Paso County as a metro county (counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population). Counties like this tend to have a wider choice of hospitals and Medicare plans than rural ones, though networks still differ plan by plan.
CMS counts 149,330 Medicare beneficiaries in El Paso County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 12% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in El Paso County, CMS reported about 536 emergency room visits and 191 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and lower than it for hospital stays (226). 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.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, so the plans open to you in El Paso County may differ from those in a neighboring county. We are not based in El Paso County; we help El Paso County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in El Paso County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in El Paso County:
- El Paso Children's Hospital — El Paso (children's; nonprofit; emergency services)
- Las Palmas Medical Center a Campus of LPDS Healthc — El Paso (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- Sierra Medical Center — El Paso (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- The Hospitals of Providence - East Campus — El Paso (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- The Hospitals of Providence - Memorial Campus — El Paso (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- The Hospitals of Providence Horizon City Campus — Horizon City (acute care; for-profit; emergency services)
- The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus — El Paso (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- University Medical Center of El Paso — El Paso (acute care; physician-owned; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
A hospital being in the county does not mean every plan covers it. Medicare Advantage networks differ by plan, so we check the hospitals and doctors you actually use 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.
Where people live in El Paso County
The largest communities in El Paso County by 2023 Census population estimates are El Paso (678,958), Socorro (38,238), Horizon City (24,168), San Elizario (10,164), Anthony (3,663), Vinton (2,813). Each figure counts only the people living inside the county.
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within El Paso County number 31: 79821, 79835, 79836, 79838, 79849, 79853, 79901, 79902, 79903, 79904, 79905, 79906, 79907, 79908 and 17 more. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about Medicare in El Paso 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.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Medicare.gov: Medigap on how Medicare Supplement works.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer El Paso County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for El Paso County households, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance and annuities.
Let’s check your El Paso County options together
We confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- What happens if you do nothing during open enrollment?
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
El Paso County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend County | 118,950 | 55.6% | 10% | Metro |
| Denton County | 120,688 | 45.0% | 7% | Metro |
| Hidalgo County | 106,589 | 78.0% | 27% | Metro |
| Montgomery County | 99,841 | 52.2% | 6% | Metro |
| Collin County | 142,320 | 42.7% | 8% | Metro |
| Williamson County | 91,251 | 47.4% | 6% | Metro |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.