Ouachita Parish Medicare at a glance
| Ouachita Parish | Louisiana | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 25,711 | 793,655 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 16.3% | 17.4% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 31,759 | 977,541 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 15,714 | 561,903 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 49.5% | 57.5% statewide |
Figures come from the Census Bureau and CMS (September 2026).
Ouachita Parish ranks 8th of 64 Louisiana parishes by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 25,711 people in that age group, or 16.3% of residents (statewide: 17.4%). The 9,589 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. Among residents 65 and older, 60% are 65 to 74, 30% are 75 to 84 and 10% are 85 or older (Census 2023 estimates). CMS data show 49.5% of Ouachita Parish residents with Medicare chose Medicare Advantage, which is lower than the 57.5% average across Louisiana. 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 Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish sits in a metro area, which the USDA defines as counties in metro areas of fewer than 250,000 population. That usually means more doctors, more hospitals and more plan choices in the area.
CMS counts 31,358 Medicare beneficiaries in Ouachita Parish (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Louisiana average of 72. About 19% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 20%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Ouachita Parish, CMS reported about 657 emergency room visits and 259 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (648) and close to it for hospital stays (237). About 11% 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 Ouachita Parish can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in Ouachita Parish; we help Ouachita Parish residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Ouachita Parish
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Ouachita Parish:
- FMOL Health St. Francis — Monroe (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
- Glenwood Regional Medical Center — West Monroe (acute care; for-profit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 2 of 5)
- Monroe Surgical Hospital — Monroe (acute care; for-profit; no emergency department)
- Ochsner LSU Health Monroe — Monroe (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
Being located in the county is not the same as being in your plan’s network. Each Medicare Advantage plan builds its own network, so we confirm that your hospital and your doctors are included before you choose. 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 Ouachita Parish
People in Ouachita Parish live in communities such as Monroe (46,616), West Monroe (12,535), Richwood (3,807), Sterlington (2,365) (2023 population estimates, counting only the part of each community that lies inside the county).
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Ouachita Parish, that means areas such as 71201, 71202, 71203, 71209, 71212, 71225, 71291, 71292, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Ouachita Parish?
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.
- Louisiana Department of Insurance: Louisiana’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Ouachita Parish residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Ouachita Parish households, including group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance and ICHRA.
Let’s check your Ouachita Parish options together
We confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- How to read your Medicare Annual Notice of Change
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
Ouachita Parish compared with similar Louisiana parishes
| Parish | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapides Parish | 22,178 | 42.5% | 22% | Metro |
| Tangipahoa Parish | 21,576 | 65.4% | 24% | Metro |
| Livingston Parish | 21,341 | 70.0% | 18% | Metro |
| Bossier Parish | 20,693 | 43.5% | 13% | Metro |
| Ascension Parish | 18,017 | 68.5% | 17% | Metro |
| Calcasieu Parish | 34,222 | 45.2% | 16% | Metro |
See every Louisiana parish in our Louisiana directory or go to our Louisiana Medicare hub.