Where I Work

Medicare help in Mississippi from a licensed independent agent

I'm John F. Morrison, an independent insurance agent licensed in Mississippi and based in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. I'm not connected with or endorsed by Medicare, the Mississippi Insurance Department, or any government agency.

Mississippi

How I work with folks in Mississippi.

Mississippi has two things worth knowing. If you're under 65 and on Medicare because of a disability, you get your own window to buy a Medicare Supplement. And the state's Medicare Savings Programs look at your income, not your savings.

Mississippi also has a free counseling program, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Medicare in Mississippi: what's different here

The Mississippi Insurance Department has offered a Medicare Supplement Shopper's Guide since 2002. The first four rules below come from its 2023 edition. Rules change, so check with the Department too.

When the 2023 guide was printed, Mississippi was one of the states that required insurers to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy to people with Medicare under 65.

Under 65 on Medicare because of a disability: a six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts the month you qualify for Medicare, and you get a new six-month window when you turn 65.
A Mississippi Medigap policy can't exclude pre-existing conditions for more than six months, and prior creditable coverage may shorten or eliminate that wait.
You have a 30-day free look from the day the policy is delivered; return it in that time for a refund.
According to the guide, if you go on Medicaid you generally can suspend your Medigap policy for up to two years instead of dropping it, then restart it without new medical underwriting.
CMS data shows about 651,000 Mississippians were enrolled in Medicare in 2025. Roughly 44 percent were in Medicare Advantage or other Medicare health plans; about 56 percent stayed in Original Medicare.

Turning 65 in Mississippi: key Medicare dates

I explain the timing, help you decide whether to take Part B now or wait, and line Medicare up with your last day of work. To sign up for Part A and Part B, you contact Social Security, online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up or through your local office (find it at ssa.gov/locator).

Your Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after.
The Mississippi Insurance Department notes you become eligible to apply for Medicare three months before you turn 65, even if you still have an employer or union health plan. If you aren't already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you apply through your local Social Security office.
Still working past 65, and covered by a group health plan from your or your spouse's current job? You can generally wait on Part B without a late penalty. Once you (or your spouse) stop working, or lose that coverage if that happens first, you have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B.
Your six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts the first day of the month you're 65 or older and have Part B. During it, you can't be turned down or charged more because of your health. Buying later can work differently, so ask me before you apply.
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 – December 7 each year; changes take effect January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 – March 31 for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan; one change only.
General Enrollment runs January 1 – March 31 if you missed your Initial Enrollment Period; coverage starts the month after you sign up.
If you move outside your plan's service area, or to an address with new plan options, you can get a Special Enrollment Period to switch Medicare Advantage or drug plans. It starts when you move (or earlier, if you tell your plan first) and lasts 2 full months after the move.

Help paying for Medicare in Mississippi

Mississippi's Medicare Savings Programs are run by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, which calls them Medicare Cost-Sharing programs. They go by the short names QMB, SLMB and QI. They can help people with limited income pay Medicare premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. The Division says these groups have no resource test, so it looks at your income, not your savings. Call 800-421-2408 to ask.

Extra Help is a Medicare program that helps people with limited income and resources pay Part D drug coverage costs. If you have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI, you get it automatically. Otherwise, you apply through Social Security at ssa.gov.

I don't decide who qualifies, but I'll help you fit a plan choice around the help you get.

Working with me from Mississippi

I can help people anywhere in Mississippi, from Jackson and the Gulf Coast around Gulfport and Biloxi to DeSoto County, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus and Starkville.

I meet clients in person only around Chattanooga, north Georgia and northeast Alabama. Mississippi is phone and video for me.

Check any agent's license before you share your Medicare number. The Mississippi Insurance Department regulates insurance in the state. Its Consumer Services line, 800-562-2957 (601-359-3569 in the Jackson area), answers Medicare and Medigap questions. My NPN is 3680444.

If you have family in Tennessee, Alabama or Arkansas, I'm licensed there too.

I'm licensed only in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Six product lines

What I can help with in Mississippi.

The same six things I help every client with, explained one at a time. Pick the one you’re wondering about.

Medicare Advantage in Mississippi

I'll show you how Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare each fit your doctors and drugs.

Prescription Drug Plans in Mississippi

If you have full Medicaid, SSI, or one of Mississippi's Medicare Cost-Sharing programs through the Division of Medicaid, you get Extra Help with Part D costs automatically. Otherwise you apply through Social Security.

Medicare Supplements in Mississippi

The Mississippi Insurance Department's 2023 Shopper's Guide says people under 65 on Medicare because of a disability get their own six-month Medigap window, and a second one at 65.

Life Insurance in Mississippi

Take care of family. Take care of the bill. No drama.

Annuities in Mississippi

I'm licensed. I don't push. If you ask, we'll talk. If you don't, we won't.

Free, official help in Mississippi.

These are government and nonprofit offices, not sales lines. I point clients to them all the time, and I’d rather you hear the rules from them too than take my word alone.

Mississippi SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program)
1-844-822-4622
Free, confidential Medicare counseling from the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Aging and Adult Services, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; also 601-709-0624.
Mississippi Insurance Department – Consumer Services
800-562-2957
The state insurance regulator; answers Medicare and Medigap questions and publishes the Medicare Supplement Shopper's Guide (601-359-3569 in the Jackson area).
Mississippi Division of Medicaid – Medicare Cost-Sharing
800-421-2408
Runs the Medicare Cost-Sharing programs (QMB, SLMB and QI) for people with limited income.
Report insurance fraud – Mississippi Insurance Department
800-562-2957
Report suspected insurance fraud here, or to the Attorney General's Insurance Integrity Enforcement Bureau at 888-528-5780.
Medicare.gov (1-800-MEDICARE)
1-800-633-4227
The federal Medicare program's own website and help line; TTY 1-877-486-2048.

FAQ

Medicare questions from Mississippi

Is John Morrison licensed to help with Medicare in Mississippi?

Yes. I'm a licensed insurance producer in Mississippi, NPN 3680444. The Mississippi Insurance Department regulates insurance here and answers Medicare and Medigap questions at 800-562-2957. I'm licensed only in the eleven states listed on this page.

Are you part of Medicare or the Mississippi government?

No. I'm an independent insurance agent, not connected with or endorsed by Medicare, the Mississippi Insurance Department, or any government agency. For free, confidential counseling, call Mississippi's SHIP at 1-844-822-4622.

Can I buy a Medicare Supplement in Mississippi if I'm under 65 and on Medicare because of a disability?

Generally, yes. The Mississippi Insurance Department's 2023 Medicare Supplement Shopper's Guide says people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of a disability get a six-month open enrollment period starting the month they qualify, and a new six-month window at 65. What you can get depends on your situation.

Can I buy a Medicare Supplement later in Mississippi without answering health questions?

Sometimes. If you're 65 or older, during your six-month Medigap open enrollment period you can't be turned down or charged more because of your health. Medicare also gives special rights to buy a Medigap policy in certain situations. One: you joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you were first eligible at 65 and, within the first year of joining, want to switch to Original Medicare. Another: you dropped a Medigap policy the first time you joined a Medicare Advantage plan, are still within 12 months of joining, and want to switch back to Original Medicare. If you're past those windows or your situation is different, ask me before you apply. What you can get depends on your situation.

Who runs free Medicare counseling in Mississippi, and how do I reach them?

Mississippi's SHIP is run by the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Aging and Adult Services. Call 1-844-822-4622 or 601-709-0624, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Counseling is free, confidential, and offered in person and by phone. Volunteers can help you understand your benefits, review a Medicare Supplement, or file a Medicare appeal.

Where do I apply for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help in Mississippi?

For a Medicare Savings Program, call the Mississippi Division of Medicaid at 800-421-2408 and ask about its Medicare Cost-Sharing programs. The Division says those groups have no resource test; it looks at income. If you have a Medicare Savings Program, full Medicaid or SSI, you get Extra Help with Part D costs automatically. Otherwise, apply through Social Security at ssa.gov.

Do you meet Mississippi clients in person, or by phone and video?

Phone and video. I meet clients in person only around Chattanooga, north Georgia and northeast Alabama, and I don't have a Mississippi office. Bring an adult son or daughter onto the call if you like. I'm on Eastern time, an hour ahead of you.

Does it cost anything to use a Medicare agent in Mississippi?

Nothing. The carriers pay me when you enroll, and that compensation is built into the same plan price you'd pay going directly to them. You get the help without paying extra.

Where these facts come from

Checked against these official pages in September 2026. Medicare rules change every year, so if something here looks out of date, call me and I’ll check it for you.

Medicare Compliance Notice

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

Ready to talk? Let’s find 30 minutes.

No pressure. No quotas. I’ll listen, ask a few questions, and if I can help you I’ll tell you how. If I can’t, I’ll tell you that too.

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