Plan a little ahead
When a storm interrupts care in Harris County
Get the Medicare details ready before hurricane season, and know who to call after.
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Houston · Harris County
Medicare in Houston.
Close to home in Harris County.
Clear guidance for Houston and all of Harris County.
Storm season, a ride to an appointment, a question in Spanish or Vietnamese. Find a useful next step, and the right Harris County office to ask.
What brings you here today?
I have a bill or noticeI have a visit coming upI have a coverage questionSomething in my life changed
No account needed. No sign-up, no login, no email. Every guide and tool is open the moment you arrive — because understanding Medicare shouldn’t cost you your contact information.
A good next step, close to home.
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling.Find HICAP benefits counseling in HoustonTexas · A useful next step
Make the next call count.
Care across a large region can take coordination. Prepare for travel to appointments, leaving work coverage, or helping family.
01
Prepare for an appointment
A visit checklist and a question to ask before you go.
Prepare my next step 02Coordinate Medicare and work coverage
Questions for the benefits office and Social Security.
Prepare my next step 03Help someone with their Medicare
An agreed question and a respectful way to join the call.
Prepare my next stepNo account or personal details needed. Prefer to talk with someone?
Made for Houston
Local questions, local starting points.
Find your next step
Getting to appointments on METROLift
Ask about METROLift before you need a regular ride to care.
Feel more prepared
Medicare help in Spanish, Vietnamese or another language
Ask for an interpreter, and say your language at the start of the call.
Life here has its own questions
What is different about Medicare in Houston.
Your county decides which office helps
The Harris County Area Agency on Aging serves Harris County only. If you live in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston, Brazoria or another nearby county, the Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging serves you instead. Give your county, not just “Houston,” when you call for benefits counseling.
Official source ↗Hurricane and flood season
Harris County publishes hurricane evacuation zones, flood information and STEAR registration details on ReadyHarris. If a storm closes your pharmacy or clinic, Medicare says to contact your Medicare drug plan or Medicare plan, so keep those phone numbers with your emergency supplies.
Official source ↗METROLift covers most, not all, of the county
METROLift paratransit runs in most of Harris County and parts of Fort Bend County, and riders must apply and be approved first. If you live outside the service area or are waiting for approval, ask the Harris County Area Agency on Aging about other ways to reach appointments.
Official source ↗Context, not advice
Public enrollment counts. They describe the area, not your choices.
- People with Medicare in Harris County
- 663,727June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
- In Medicare Advantage and other Medicare health plans, Harris County
- 404,458June 2026 · CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment ↗
A person to talk to
HICAP benefits counseling in Houston.
Call the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, run by the Houston Health Department, for free HICAP Medicare benefits counseling by phone, in person or in writing.
Help me prepare for the callNo account. No personal details to enter.
Also in Houston
- Harris County Area Agency on Aging
- METROLift paratransit
- State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR)
Useful all year round
Getting comfortable with Medicare.
Use my benefits
Prepare for the visit, across town or across Harris County.
Costs & paperwork
Start with the bill, notice or summary in front of you.
Review my coverage
Three questions about access, costs and needs that changed in Houston.
Enrollment windows
AEP, MA OEP and the life situations that open a window.
Straight answers
Questions people in Houston ask about Medicare.
Houston Medicare Guide is the Houston edition of the Texas Medicare Guide, an independent educational site for people with Medicare and the people who help them. It explains what to ask and who to call; it does not verify coverage, recommend plans or enroll anyone. How we prepare our guidance →
- Who can I call for free Medicare counseling in Houston?
Call the Harris County Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301 for free HICAP benefits counseling by phone, in person or in writing. It serves people who live in Harris County, including the City of Houston. If you live in a nearby county, call the Texas Medicare help line at 1-800-252-9240.
Find benefits counseling in Harris County →- How do I get my Medicare care ready for hurricane season?
Keep your Medicare card, any plan card and a list of your medicines with your emergency supplies. If you would need help in an emergency, register with STEAR online or by dialing 2-1-1. After a storm, call your Medicare drug plan about a closed pharmacy or lost medicines.
Read the storm-season guide →- Is there a ride service to medical appointments in Harris County?
METROLift is METRO’s paratransit service for prequalified riders with a disability, across most of Harris County and parts of Fort Bend County. You apply first, including an in-person interview. METRO decides eligibility, and METROLift is not a Medicare benefit.
Read the METROLift guide →- Can I get Medicare help in Spanish or Vietnamese?
Yes. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and ask for an interpreter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. When you call the Harris County Area Agency on Aging for counseling, say the language you prefer at the start of the call.
Read the language-help guide →- Does Houston Medicare Guide sell plans or enroll people?
No. Houston Medicare Guide is the Houston and Harris County edition of Texas Medicare Guide, an independent educational site from HealthBenefitsCompass LLC. One of our reviewers is a licensed Medicare agent; even so, this site sells nothing, recommends no plan and enrolls no one.
About this site →
Somewhere else in Texas?
The statewide guide has local help for every county.