Alabama Medicare and Health Insurance Help, by Phone and Video

I’m Steve Turner, a licensed health insurance agent and broker, and I’m licensed in Alabama. My office is in Tampa, Florida, and I work with Alabama clients from Huntsville to Mobile by phone, video, and secure e-signature. The insurance companies pay my commission, so my help costs you nothing, and you pay the same premium you’d pay buying direct.

Most of the Alabamians I help are turning 65, retiring, or taking a hard look at their current Medicare plan. I also help families and self-employed people understand their individual coverage options. Here’s what’s different about health insurance in Alabama.

Medicare in Alabama

• Your first Medigap window matters more here. Alabama has no Medigap “birthday rule.” Your six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts when you turn 65 and enroll in Part B. After it ends, switching Medigap plans usually means answering health questions, and they can turn you down.
• On Medicare before 65? Alabama doesn’t require Medigap insurers to sell to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability. Few do, and their premiums are much higher. I’ll show you how a Medicare Advantage plan compares.
• Medicare Advantage plans vary by county. A plan sold in Jefferson County may not be offered in Baldwin County, and the networks differ too.
• The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7. Changes you make then take effect January 1.
• Free counseling: Alabama SHIP, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, at 1-800-243-5463.

Before I recommend any plan, I check it against your doctors, your hospital (UAB, Huntsville Hospital, Baptist Health, or wherever you go), and every prescription you take.

Buying your own plan on the Alabama Marketplace

Alabama uses the federal Marketplace, so HealthCare.gov sells individual and family plans.

• 2027 open enrollment: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1.
• Four insurers, all raising rates. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare, Ambetter, and Oscar are all back for 2027. Before subsidies, average increases range from about 11% (Ambetter) to about 34% (Oscar), with Blue Cross averaging about 20%.
• Subsidies are smaller than they were in 2025. The extra federal help ended after 2025. Households earning more than four times the poverty level no longer qualify, and most others get less, so an accurate income estimate matters more than it used to.
• Don’t let your plan auto-renew without comparing. With rates moving this much, last year’s best plan may not be this year’s.

I’ll compare the plans offered in your county and show you what each would cost after your subsidy.

Medicaid and ALL Kids

Alabama hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Most adults under 65 qualify only if they’re pregnant, have a disability, or are parents with very low income (about $500 a month for a family of four in 2026). Adults below the poverty line usually can’t get Marketplace subsidies either. If you’re in that gap, I’ll tell you plainly rather than sell you something you can’t afford.

ALL Kids is Alabama’s children’s health program. It covers children through age 18 in families that earn too much for Medicaid, up to roughly $100,000 a year for a family of four in 2026. Families pay a small yearly fee per child, with a family cap, and you can apply anytime. Parents can be on a Marketplace plan while the kids are on ALL Kids, and I’ll help you work out which fits.

How working with me from Tampa works

• We talk by phone or video whenever suits you: seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central.
• Paperwork is electronic. You review and sign on your phone or computer.
• Your doctors and drugs come first. I check them against each plan before we talk about price.
• I stay your agent after you enroll, for billing problems, a denied claim, a new prescription, or a move.

Alabama questions

Do you have an office in Alabama? No. My office is in Tampa, and I work with Alabama clients by phone and video. I’m licensed by the Alabama Department of Insurance (license 3003970267), and you can verify my license before we talk.

I’m turning 65 but still working. Do I need Part B? It depends on your employer’s size. If your employer has 20 or more employees, its plan usually pays first,t and you can often delay Part B without a penalty. If it has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare usually pays first, so you’ll generally need Part B. I’ll review your situation before you decide.

I’m moving to Alabama with Medicare. What happens to my plan? If you have a Medigap policy, you can usually keep it, though the premium may change. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll likely need a new one, and the move gives you a special enrollment period to choose it.

Talk with Steve

Call or text (813) 388-8373, seven days a week, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Eastern (6 a.m.–7 p.m. Central), or book a call.

Related: Medicare plans · Individual & family health insurance · All areas we serve