St. Mary's County Medicare at a glance
| St. Mary's County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 16,904 | 1,066,384 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 14.7% | 17.3% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 20,602 | 1,206,222 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 3,490 | 298,863 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 16.9% | 24.8% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
St. Mary's County ranks 14th of 24 Maryland counties by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 16,904 people in that age group, or 14.7% of residents (statewide: 17.3%). Another 7,482 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). Census 2023 estimates show 60% of the 65-plus population is under 75, 31% is 75 to 84 and 10% is 85 or older. Medicare Advantage enrollment in St. Mary's County is 16.9% of people with Medicare, lower than the Maryland average of 24.8%. 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 St. Mary's County
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies St. Mary's County as a metro county (counties in metro areas of fewer than 250,000 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 19,518 Medicare beneficiaries in St. Mary's County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Maryland average of 73. About 14% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 17%.
Among people in Original Medicare in St. Mary's County, CMS reported about 630 emergency room visits and 203 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is higher than the state average for emergency visits (555) and close to it for hospital stays (217). About 7% 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 St. Mary's County can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in St. Mary's County; we help St. Mary's County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in St. Mary's County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists this hospital in St. Mary's County:
- MedStar Saint Mary's Hospital — Leonardtown (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 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 St. Mary's County
People in St. Mary's County live in communities such as Leonardtown (4,974) (2023 population estimates, counting only the part of each community that lies inside the county).
We look up plans by ZIP code. In St. Mary's County, that means areas such as 20606, 20609, 20618, 20619, 20620, 20621, 20624, 20626, 20628, 20630, 20634, 20636, 20650, 20653 and 12 more, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in St. Mary's 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.
- Maryland Health Connection, Maryland’s own health insurance exchange, if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Maryland Insurance Administration: Maryland’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer St. Mary's County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for St. Mary's County households, including final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance and life insurance.
Get a clear answer for St. Mary's County
A short call is enough to compare your options. Our help is free to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- What Medicare Part D actually costs
- Medicare 101 for families
St. Mary's County compared with similar Maryland counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert County | 16,037 | 18.3% | 11% | Metro |
| Wicomico County | 18,040 | 27.3% | 22% | Metro |
| Cecil County | 18,651 | 21.8% | 16% | Metro |
| Queen Anne's County | 11,200 | 17.1% | 10% | Metro |
| Charles County | 24,347 | 25.0% | 14% | Metro |
| Washington County | 28,617 | 24.1% | 20% | Metro |
See every Maryland county in our Maryland directory or go to our Maryland Medicare hub.