Medicare in Madison County
Madison County includes the city of Huntsville in north Alabama. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 population estimates put the number of Madison County residents age 65 and older at 66,539, so many of your neighbors are making the same Medicare decisions. Huntsville Hospital and Madison Hospital are both part of the Huntsville Hospital Health System.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, and they can change each year. We check what is offered where you live, then confirm your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions before you enroll. We are an independent agency licensed in Alabama, helping Madison County residents by phone or video call.
The numbers behind Medicare in Madison County
| Madison County | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 66,539 | 932,312 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 16.1% | 18.3% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 81,674 | 1,148,442 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 37,879 | 706,387 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 46.4% | 61.5% statewide |
Figures come from the Census Bureau and CMS (September 2026).
Madison County ranks 3rd of 67 Alabama counties by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 66,539 people in that age group, or 16.1% of residents (statewide: 18.3%). The 28,443 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. By age, the 65-and-older group splits 59% ages 65 to 74, 31% ages 75 to 84 and 11% age 85 and up (Census 2023). About 46.4% of people with Medicare in Madison County are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. That is lower than the Alabama average of 61.5%. A county average does not tell you which kind of plan fits you. Whether Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with a Medigap plan is the better fit depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and how you want to handle costs, so we compare both for your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Madison County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies Madison 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 77,483 Medicare beneficiaries in Madison County (2023). Their average age is 74, older than the Alabama average of 72. About 7% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, lower than the state figure of 14%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Madison County, CMS reported about 539 emergency room visits and 224 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (600) and close to it for hospital stays (247). 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.
Where people live in Madison County
People in Madison County live in communities such as Huntsville (220,689), Madison (48,234), Triana (4,456), New Hope (2,927), Owens Cross Roads (2,917), Gurley (850) (2023 population estimates, counting only the part of each community that lies inside the county).
Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas mostly within Madison County number 22: 35741, 35748, 35749, 35750, 35757, 35758, 35759, 35760, 35761, 35763, 35773, 35801, 35802, 35803 and 8 more. Your exact ZIP code is what decides which plans you can join.
Questions about your Medicare options?
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.
- Alabama Department of Insurance: Alabama’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Madison County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Madison 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 Madison County options together
We will confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonRead next
- 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
Madison County compared with similar Alabama counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile County | 73,219 | 70.9% | 15% | Metro |
| Baldwin County | 55,923 | 57.9% | 6% | Metro |
| Shelby County | 40,691 | 61.0% | 6% | Metro |
| Montgomery County | 37,666 | 63.3% | 13% | Metro |
| Tuscaloosa County | 34,292 | 59.1% | 18% | Metro |
| Lee County | 25,595 | 58.0% | 12% | Metro |
See every Alabama county in our Alabama directory or go to our Alabama Medicare hub.