Sun City Hilton Head
Sun City Hilton Head has more than 18,000 residents in a 55+ community near Bluffton and Okatie. Here is how Medicare works for Sun City residents, from enrollment dates to plan choices.
Sun City is one of the largest 55+ communities in South Carolina. If you live here, or are thinking about it, here is what to know about Medicare.
Sun City Hilton Head sits in the Okatie area near Bluffton, between Beaufort and Jasper counties. Del Webb opened the gates in 1995. According to the community's own site, it now has more than 18,000 residents and is expected to pass 20,000 at build-out. It is a 55+ community, so many residents are on Medicare or are getting close to it.
Original Medicare is Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical). Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is a private plan that replaces Original Medicare and often adds drug coverage and extras like dental and vision. A Medicare Supplement, also called Medigap, works with Original Medicare to cover costs it leaves behind. Part D is stand-alone prescription drug coverage.
Your Initial Enrollment Period is seven months around your 65th birthday. Everyone already on Medicare can change Advantage and drug plans during Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also get January 1 to March 31 to switch plans or go back to Original Medicare.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are sold by county. Sun City sits between Beaufort and Jasper counties, so the plans available to you can depend on your address. See our article on how neighbors in Sun City can have different options.
Before you pick a plan, confirm that your doctors, specialists, and preferred hospital are in its network. Many Sun City residents see providers in Okatie, Bluffton, Hilton Head, and Savannah.
You can call 1-800-MEDICARE or the SC SHIP counseling line at 1-800-868-9095. Working with an agent also costs you nothing.
Skyler Abilla is a licensed Medicare agent who lives in the Bluffton area. Call (843) 284-6815 or book a free call.
Source: Sun City Hilton Head Community Association, About Sun City Hilton Head; Wikipedia, "Sun City Hilton Head." The bar is illustrative of the two reported figures.
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