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Free California Medicare Plan Finder
Parts A & B, Advantage vs Medigap, Part D drug costs, and enrollment timing... the exact conversation our licensed agents have with every new client, in about 5 minutes. No cost, and we never cold-call you.
Dennis Jarvis, licensed CA agent since 1999 · serving California since 1994
1 Basics
2 The Decision
3 Closer Look
4 Drug Costs
5 Timing
6 Your Quote
Start here
Medicare is really not that complicated
It comes down to just three pieces. Set these up and you're done.
1
Medicare Part A & B
The government program... your hospital and medical foundation.
2
An Advantage plan or a Supplement
One choice that covers the gaps Part A & B leave behind.
3
Part D
Your prescription drug coverage.
That's it. Just three pieces to set up. We'll walk through each one, starting with the foundation.
The basics
Medicare Parts A & B: the foundation
Original Medicare has two parts, and understanding them makes everything else fall into place.
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Part A: Hospital
Inpatient stays, skilled nursing, hospice. Most people get this premium-free (you paid in through payroll taxes).
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Part B: Medical
Doctor visits, outpatient care, tests, preventive care. Has a monthly premium ($202.90/mo standard in 2026).
How do you pay for Part B?
It's either deducted from your Social Security check if you're already collecting, or billed quarterly if you're not yet. Part A is usually premium-free.
💡Did you know? Some plans pay part of your Part B premium back.
Certain Medicare Advantage plans include a Part B giveback, putting a chunk of that $202.90 back in your Social Security check each month. The amount and availability vary by ZIP and plan, so it's worth a look. More on this in a moment.
When do you sign up?
Your Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month window around your 65th birthday: the 3 months before, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. Signing up on time avoids lifelong penalties. (Example below: birthday in May.)
Febbefore
Marbefore
Aprbefore
MAYbirthday
Junafter
Julafter
Augafter
Tip: enrolling in the 3 months before your birthday means coverage can start the 1st of your birthday month. Your effective date is always the 1st of the month.
💼Still working past 65?
If you (or your spouse) have creditable employer coverage, you can usually delay Part B without penalty, then enroll through a Special Enrollment Period when that coverage ends (an 8-month window). The rules trip people up, so confirm with us before you retire.
A note on higher incomes: IRMAA
If your income is above certain levels, you'll pay more than the standard premium for Part B (and Part D). This surcharge is IRMAA, based on your tax return from two years ago (your 2026 premium looks at 2024 income).
Individual income (2024)
Married jointly (2024)
2026 Part B
$109,000 or less
$218,000 or less
$202.90
$109,001 to $137,000
$218,001 to $274,000
$284.10
$137,001 to $171,000
$274,001 to $342,000
$406.90
$171,001 to $205,000
$342,001 to $410,000
$528.90
$205,001 to $500,000
$410,001 to $750,000
$651.00
Above $500,000
Above $750,000
$689.90
Income dropped since two years ago? You can appeal.
If a life change (retirement, loss of income, divorce, death of a spouse) lowered your income, you can file to reduce or remove IRMAA. Most people don't realize this... we help clients with it.
Now, back to your Medicare channel!
The big catch: that 20% is uncapped
Original Medicare works like an 80/20 plan after your deductibles. Medicare pays 80% of Part B costs, and you pay the other 20% with no annual limit. For a normal year that's manageable. But for a serious illness, 20% of a huge bill, with no cap, could be financially devastating.
Hospital bill
$100,000
→
Medicare pays (80%)
$80,000
+
YOU pay (20%)
$20,000
With no cap, that $20,000 is all on you. A Supplement or an Advantage plan's out-of-pocket max exists to protect you from exactly this. That's the reason for the big decision next.
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Video: Medicare Parts A & B explained
The big decision
How do you cover that 20%? Two paths.
This is the most important Medicare decision. There are two main ways to fill the gaps Original Medicare leaves, especially that uncapped 20%.
First, one important question: do you have Medi-Cal?
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. If you have it alongside Medicare, your options (and your costs) can look very different. It's worth answering before we go further.
Good... that often works in your favor.
Having both Medicare and Medi-Cal is called being "dual eligible," or "Medi-Medi." Medi-Cal can cover much of what Medicare leaves, including that 20% and often your Part B premium, and you may qualify for a special plan built just for this (more in the next step). Because your situation is different, this is exactly where free, honest guidance helps most.
Original Medicare + Medigap
Add a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan + a Part D drug plan. Higher monthly premium, but any doctor nationwide and very predictable, low costs when you get care.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
A private all-in-one plan, often low or $0 premium with extras like dental. Uses a network; you pay as you go up to a yearly max.
The honest way we frame it
After thousands of conversations, it usually comes down to one question: can you afford, or do you want to afford, roughly $200/month for a Supplement in exchange for maximum freedom and predictable costs? For many people that isn't in the budget, and Advantage is the right, sensible choice. Neither is "better," there's a better fit for you.
Which matters more to you right now?
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Freedom & predictable costsAny doctor, no networks, few surprises... worth a higher premium.
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Lowest monthly premiumKeep monthly costs down, okay using a network and paying as I go.
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I'm not sure yetShow me both... I want to understand the trade-offs.
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Beyond cost: your doctors matter a lot
Cost is only half the decision. The other half is your doctors and hospitals. Some providers won't work with Advantage plans at all. For example, Scripps in San Diego stopped taking Advantage plans for their doctors. Original Medicare with a Supplement is accepted almost everywhere; Advantage depends on the network.
Tell us and we'll verify they're covered across multiple sources when we build your quote. This is the single most valuable thing we do.
Understand the switching rules before you choose.
It's easy to move to a Medicare Advantage plan each year. But going back to Original Medicare + Medigap later can require medical underwriting after your first 12 months on Advantage (a one-time "trial right"), meaning you could be turned down or charged more. So the first choice matters more than most people realize.
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Video: Advantage vs Supplement
A closer look
Explore both paths
Here's a closer look at each. Flip between them anytime... it's worth understanding both.
Supplement (Medigap)
Medicare Advantage
Medigap works alongside Original Medicare to pay what it leaves you, including that uncapped 20%. Plans are standardized by letter (Plan G, Plan N), so a Plan G is identical from any carrier... you shop on price. Any doctor nationwide that accepts Medicare, no networks.
Any doctorNo networks or referrals... great if you travel.
PredictableVery little out of pocket when you get care.
CA Birthday RuleSwitch plans yearly with no health questions.
Plan G vs Plan N: the two almost everyone picks
Every carrier's Plan G is identical, and every carrier's Plan N is identical (that's the law), so it really comes down to these two. They cover the same big things... the differences are small but worth understanding:
Plan G
Plan N
Monthly premium
~$175/mo average (new 65-year-old)
About $20/mo lower (~$155)
Any doctor who takes Medicare, no network
Yes
Yes
Part B deductible ($283/yr)
You pay it first
You pay it first
Doctor / specialist visit
$0 copay
Up to $20 copay
Emergency room
$0 copay
Up to $50 (waived if admitted)
Part B excess charges
Covered
Not covered
Best fit
Wants zero surprises at the doctor
Healthy, wants a lower premium, fine with small copays
About that deductible: neither Plan G nor Plan N covers the $283 Part B deductible... you pay it first each year and then the plan takes over, which is why it sits above the copays. Only the old Plan F (now closed to new members) covered it.
Excess charges = a provider billing up to 15% over the Medicare-approved amount. Only about 2 to 4% of California providers do it, but only Plan G protects you from it.
Watch the first-year Plan G discount.
Major carriers often take about $25/month off Plan G for your first 12 months when you're new to Medigap. It makes Plan G look cheaper than Plan N at first... then the discount falls off and Plan G becomes the pricier plan. Always compare the rate you'll pay in year two, not the teaser rate.
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Video: Medicare Supplement (Medigap) explained
Go deeper See our full California Medigap Guide... Plan G, Plan N, real rates, and the Birthday Rule.
Advantage bundles Part A, B, and usually D into one private plan, often $0 premium with extras like dental and vision. The trade-off: you use a network and pay copays as you go, up to an annual maximum out-of-pocket.
⭐ Because you have Medi-Cal: look at a D-SNP
Since you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal, you may qualify for a Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP), a type of Advantage plan built specifically for "Medi-Medi" members. These often come with $0 premiums and extra benefits (dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter and grocery allowances, transportation), plus care coordination, with little to no cost-sharing because Medi-Cal picks up the rest. Being dual-eligible also gives you more flexibility to change plans... often monthly, not just once a year. We'll check which D-SNPs are available where you live.
Low/$0 premiumKeep monthly costs down.
Extra benefitsDental, vision, hearing, OTC... often included.
Uses a networkWe verify your doctors; directories can be wrong.
Why the max out-of-pocket is the number that matters
AVERAGE YEAR
low copays
Routine visits, labs, and tests run modest copays. Advantage looks cheap here.
BIG HEALTH YEAR
$1,000 to $3,000
You hit the plan's max out-of-pocket. Lowest in competitive areas like LA (sometimes just a few hundred), higher elsewhere. This is your real exposure.
A $0-premium plan feels free in an average year. But the maximum out-of-pocket is what you'd owe in a bad year, and it varies a lot by plan and area. That's why it's one of the five things we check on every plan. (The eye-popping $9,000 maximums you may see mostly belong to dual-eligible "Medi-Medi" plans, where Medi-Cal picks up the cost-sharing anyway.)
Remember that Part B giveback from earlier? Some Advantage plans include a Part B premium reduction, paying part of your $202.90/mo Part B premium straight to Social Security so your monthly check goes up... commonly $50 to $150+ a month in California (a few Los Angeles plans reach about $164). It's a real, CMS-approved benefit that has grown from roughly 2% of Advantage plans a few years ago to nearly 1 in 5 today.
The honest catch most agents skip.
These plans often carry a higher out-of-pocket maximum (roughly $1,900 to $2,000, versus around $800 on a strong standard plan... about $1,000 more exposure in a bad year) and sometimes a smaller network. A giveback is only worth it if the plan is also strong on the five points above, so we compare total value, not just the number. And if Medi-Cal already pays your Part B premium, a giveback adds nothing.
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Video: Medicare Advantage plans explained
A rough cost comparison
Rough estimates to show the shape of the trade-off. Your real numbers depend on age, ZIP, health, and plans available.
Supplement (Plan G)
Part B premium: ~$203/mo Plan G: ~$150 to $210/mo Part D: ~$0 to $50/mo
Higher monthly cost, but very little when you get care. Predictable.
Advantage
Part B premium: ~$203/mo Plan premium: often $0/mo Drug coverage: usually included
Lower monthly cost, but you pay copays as you go, up to the yearly max.
The key difference is the back end With a Supplement you pay more monthly but little when you need care. With Advantage you pay less monthly but more when you use it, and how much depends on your health that year. A healthy year on Advantage can be very cheap; a serious health event costs you up to the plan's out-of-pocket max. That's the real trade-off, and it's why this deserves a real discussion.
Not sure which way to go? That's normal, and you don't have to decide alone. We can quote both options side by side, with your doctors and drugs factored in, so you see real numbers before you choose.
Prescriptions
Part D: getting your drug costs right
Prescription costs are the #1 cost surprise for seniors, because the same drug can cost very differently from plan to plan. Here's the secret to getting it right.
The right way to shop Part D
Don't guess. List your exact medications and doses, then sort plans by total estimated annual cost (premium + what you'll actually pay). A higher-premium plan can easily be cheaper overall if it covers your drugs better. That's exactly what we do for you.
Your yearly drug costs are now capped
2026
$2,100
2027
$2,400
Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits the cap, you pay $0 more for them the rest of the year. A huge help if you take expensive medications.
Review your Part D plan every single year.
Formularies and pricing change annually. You can and should change your Part D plan each year during open enrollment. And your best Part D plan is rarely the same carrier as your Medigap plan... they're chosen separately, purely on which covers your drugs cheapest.
💉Taking a GLP-1? There's a new bridge program.
GLP-1 medications can be expensive and coverage varies a lot. Medicare launched a GLP-1 Bridge demonstration in July 2026 offering eligible members access to select GLP-1 drugs for around $50/month, and the right Part D choice matters even more on top of it. If you take one, tell us and we'll factor it in.
Add your medications (optional, but helps us help you)
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Video: Medicare Parts explained
Timing
When & how to enroll
Timing matters, and the right window depends on your situation. Tell us where you are and we'll point you to the right path.
What's your situation?
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Turning 65 soonApproaching my Initial Enrollment Period.
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Losing employer coverageRetiring or coming off a work plan.
✓
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Losing Medi-CalMy Medi-Cal is ending or changing.
✓
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Already on MedicareI want to review or change my plan.
✓
❓
Something else / not sureMoved, lost other coverage, or a different situation.
✓
Your enrollment timeline: a simple race to the finish
Work backward from your finish line, the 1st of the month you turn 65 (or when employer coverage ends).
1
3 months before ... sign up for Part A & B (Medicare takes ~20 days to process, so start early).
2
2 months before ... enroll in Advantage, or Medigap + Part D.
3
1 month before ... confirm everything is active and ready.
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Finish line ... the 1st of your birthday month (or when employer coverage ends): coverage begins!
When can I switch plans later?
The rules depend on what you have now and what you want to switch to.
Advantage → Medigap
First 12 months on Advantage (your first time): switch back with no underwriting (a one-time trial right). After that: subject to medical underwriting unless you involuntarily lose the plan.
Advantage → Advantage
Oct 15 to Dec 7 (Annual Enrollment), effective Jan 1. Plus Jan 1 to Mar 31: a one-time do-over to change plans or return to Original Medicare.
Medigap → Advantage
Oct 15 to Dec 7 each year (Annual Enrollment). Effective Jan 1.
Medigap → Medigap
California Birthday Rule: around your birthday, switch to an equal or lesser plan with no underwriting. Any other time: year-round but subject to underwriting.
Part D (drug plans)
Oct 15 to Dec 7 each year, effective Jan 1. Review it every year... the cheapest plan for your drugs changes.
The one to remember
Getting into Advantage is easy every year. Getting back to Medigap can require passing health underwriting after your first 12 months. So choose your first plan carefully, and lean on us to time any switch right. It's free.
This is where we really help... free
Enrolling at the right time (and avoiding lifelong penalties) is where a good agent earns their keep. We confirm your exact window, verify your doctors across multiple sources, load your medications for real drug costs, handle the paperwork, and stay with you for renewals and any appeals down the road. It costs you nothing... your rate is the same as going direct, because the carriers pay us, not you.
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Most agents are nationwide
California Medicare works differently... our carriers, networks, and rules (like the Birthday Rule) are unique. We only do California.
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Carriers show only their plans
Call one company and they'll only show their options. As independent agents, we compare across all the major carriers.
📫Watch out for aggressive marketing
Once you turn 65, your mailbox and phone get flooded with ads and robocalls, many pushing one product or a flashy $0 premium that may not fit you. We give honest, no-pressure guidance and compare the whole market... free.
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Video: how to enroll
Almost done
Get your exact, personalized quote
You've covered the same ground we'd walk through on a call. Now let's get real numbers. Share a few details and a licensed California agent will send your exact quote... free, no obligation.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
✓
You're all set!
Thanks... a licensed California agent will reach out shortly with your personalized quote. Want to lock in a time now?
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