Medicare in Gillespie County by the numbers
| Gillespie County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 8,553 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 30.8% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 9,976 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 2,975 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 29.8% | 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 8,553 residents age 65 and older, Gillespie County is 71st among 254 Texas counties for older residents. That group is 30.8% of its population, compared with 13.7% across Texas. The 2,268 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Census 2023 estimates show 54% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 34% is 75 to 84 and 12% is 85 or older. Medicare Advantage enrollment in Gillespie County is 29.8% 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 Gillespie County
Gillespie County is a non-metro county with towns and small cities (USDA: urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, not 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 9,641 Medicare beneficiaries in Gillespie County (2023). Their average age is 75, older than the Texas average of 73. About 5% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, lower than the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Gillespie County, CMS reported about 466 emergency room visits and 141 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is lower than the state average for emergency visits (580) and lower than it for hospital stays (226). 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.
Insurers choose which counties to serve each year, which means the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can pick in Gillespie County can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in Gillespie County; we help Gillespie County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Gillespie County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists this hospital in Gillespie County:
- Hill Country Memorial Hospital — Fredericksburg (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 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.
Gillespie County: communities and ZIP codes
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Gillespie County at Fredericksburg (11,542), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
ZIP codes that fall mostly inside Gillespie County include 78618, 78624, 78671, 78675. Plan availability can change by ZIP code, so have yours ready when we compare plans.
Questions about Medicare in Gillespie 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 Gillespie County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Gillespie County households, including ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap) and Part D drug plans.
Let’s check your Gillespie 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 Medicare Part D actually costs
- Medicare 101 for families
- How to read your Medicare Annual Notice of Change
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
Gillespie County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooke County | 8,531 | 41.9% | 7% | Smaller city/town |
| Llano County | 8,515 | 46.8% | 5% | Smaller city/town |
| Washington County | 8,599 | 40.8% | 9% | Smaller city/town |
| Brown County | 8,211 | 39.7% | 16% | Smaller city/town |
| Anderson County | 9,081 | 54.3% | 12% | Smaller city/town |
| Navarro County | 9,263 | 52.3% | 16% | Smaller city/town |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.