Most San Diego callers open with the same sentence. I just got my Medicare card and I do not know what to do with it. Fair enough. Here is the whole decision laid out, in the order it actually happens.
The order of operations
First you confirm Part A and Part B. Then you choose between Advantage and a supplement. Then you pick drug coverage. Then you check that your own doctors and prescriptions survived the choice.
The four parts in plain words
What you are enrolling in
- Part A pays toward hospital stays, skilled nursing, and hospice care.
- Part B pays toward doctor visits, outpatient services, lab work, and medical equipment.
- Part C, or Medicare Advantage, is a private plan that carries your Part A and Part B benefits.
- Part D is drug coverage, either built into an Advantage plan or bought on its own.
Advantage or a supplement
This is the fork, and both roads are decent roads. An Advantage plan puts everything on one card. Dental, vision, hearing, and fitness extras are often bundled, and the monthly premium tends to be modest. The price of that is the network.
Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement trades the other way. Any provider in the country who takes Medicare will see you, and you do not chase referrals. You carry a supplement premium and a separate Part D premium, and the bundled extras are not there. Read Original Medicare versus Advantage for the long comparison.
Neither choice suits everyone. Travellers and people with out of area specialists often favour the supplement. People who want simplicity and extras often favour Advantage. Availability and benefits vary by plan and by area, and both can change, so a licensed agent should review your own situation.
Your drug list, not the premium
A drug plan is only as good as its treatment of your prescriptions. Each plan publishes a formulary, which lists covered drugs and the tier of each. Both the formulary and the premium are rebuilt for every plan year. A plan that worked last fall can quietly stop working, which is why the yearly check matters. See Part D for how we run it.
San Diego County decides your options
Advantage and Part D lineups are approved county by county. Your San Diego address puts you in the San Diego County service area, whether your ZIP is 92103 or 92104. Chula Vista, about seven miles south, and El Cajon, about thirteen miles east, sit in that same county and share your menu.
Step over a county line and the picture changes. A plan a relative recommends from another county may not exist on your list. Moving is also one of the events that opens a special enrollment window, so a change of address is worth a phone call.
Three doors, and when they open
Enrollment windows
Turning 65
Seven months wide. It opens three months before your birthday month and shuts three months after.
The fall window
October 15 to December 7, open to everyone on Medicare. Join, switch, or drop, and the new plan starts in January.
Special windows
Triggered by events such as losing employer coverage, moving, or a change in Medi-Cal. The clock on these is short, so call early.
Medicare and Medi-Cal together
Some people qualify for both programs at once. Dual eligible plans exist to coordinate them, so a single plan handles the care and the billing. These plans often cover more than a standard plan does. A lot of people who qualify never apply, and we are glad to check for you at no cost to you.
Still working, or coming off military coverage
Two situations need care. If you are still employed, employer size decides whether you may delay Part B without a penalty. That penalty can last the rest of your life. If you are moving from military coverage into Medicare, the sequence matters too. Both deserve a conversation before you sign anything.
What we actually do
How a San Diego review runs
- 01
You send the list
Doctors, prescriptions, pharmacies, and anything that must not change.
- 02
We compare
We run plans from many carriers against that list, then bring you the ones that clear it.
- 03
We enroll you
We file the application, confirm it processed, and send the plan paperwork.
Our service costs you nothing. We are an independent agency, founded in 2015, licensed in California under #0718082, and our agents hold CMS Medicare certification. We do not offer every plan available in your area, and we are not connected with the government. Verify anything you like at medicare.gov, at ssa.gov, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
Working with us from San Diego
We are based up in Orange, and San Diego clients almost always meet by video or phone. Screen sharing works well here, since you can watch the comparison as we build it. Documents go out for signature online. Book a time on the contact page, or see the San Diego overview for our other coverage lines.
Medicare options for San Diego residents
- Medicare OverviewWhat every part of Medicare actually covers - and what it doesn't.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C)All-in-one bundled plans with extra benefits.
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap)Standardized plans that fill cost gaps in Original Medicare.
- Medicare Part DPrescription drug coverage that fits your meds.
- Dual-Eligible (Medicare + Medi-Cal)Coordinated coverage when you qualify for both.
- Senior HealthcareCoverage for the conditions and care that matter most.
Why San Diego residents work with us
- Specialized in TRICARE-to-Medicare transitions.
- Independent, so we compare many carriers rather than represent one.
- Bilingual English + Spanish, with Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese available.
- Same agent every year. Annual reviews during AEP automatically scheduled.