Medicare made clear · Statewide in California
Turning 65, weighing Kaiser against everything else, or re-shopping because your PPO went away? Sit down with a credentialed independent agent who will walk you through Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D in plain English — patiently, and at no cost to you.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Tell us a little about you and Darin will reach out. Prefer to talk now? Call (702) 706-6564.
California is different
California has more people on Medicare than any state, a health system built around integrated networks, and a Medigap rule almost no other state has. Start with what actually shapes the choice here.
More than 1.4 million Californians take Medicare through Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage. It is a closed system: you cannot pair Original Medicare and a Medigap policy with Kaiser doctors. Decide whether you are staying in Kaiser before you compare anything else.
Kaiser & Medicare, explainedEach year, for 60 days starting on your birthday, California lets you move your Medigap policy to any carrier’s plan of equal or lesser benefits with no health questions. Most states make you pass underwriting to switch. Use it, and never overpay for a Plan G again.
How the birthday rule worksAnthem Blue Cross ended its Advantage PPO plans in California, Aetna closed plans and left counties, and UnitedHealthcare and Humana pulled out of counties too. A discontinued plan opens a Special Enrollment Period and, usually, a guaranteed-issue right to Medigap.
What changed, and what to doMedicare in 2026, at a glance
Premiums and deductibles change every year. Here are the current 2026 Original Medicare figures — we refresh them annually so you are never reading last year’s numbers.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (released November 14, 2025) and 2026 Part D parameters. Higher earners may pay an income-related surcharge (IRMAA) — see our 2026 costs & IRMAA page.
Where to start
There is no single “best” plan — only the one that fits your doctors, your prescriptions, your county and your travel. Here is the plain-English version of your choices.
All-in-one Part C plans, often $0 premium, built on a county network — the choice of about half of California, and the one that changed most for 2026.
How Advantage worksMedigap pairs with Original Medicare and works with any provider nationwide — UCLA, Stanford, Cedars, City of Hope, or your doctor in Arizona — with California’s birthday rule to switch every year.
How Medigap worksStandalone drug coverage chosen around your medications and pharmacy. 2026 out-of-pocket cap: $2,100.
How Part D worksSenior Advantage is its own world: everything in one system, and no Medigap route in. When it fits, and when it doesn’t.
Kaiser & MedicareYour situation matters
The rules change a lot depending on what else you have and where you spend the year. These are the situations Californians ask us about most.
Retiring to Arizona, Nevada, Texas or Idaho, or arriving here from somewhere else: what a move does to your plan, your Medigap rights and your Part D.
Medicare when you moveWhat a FEMA disaster declaration does to your enrollment deadlines, and how to keep prescriptions filled when you evacuate.
Wildfires & MedicareTRICARE For Life, the VA (Greater LA, San Diego, Palo Alto, Loma Linda, Sacramento, Fresno), and why Part B timing still matters.
Veterans & MedicareThe Medicare Savings Programs that pay your Part B premium, the asset limit that returned in 2026, Extra Help, and the Medi-Medi Plans that coordinate both.
Dual-eligible helpFree guide
A clear, step-by-step walk-through of your enrollment windows, the California-specific choices in front of you, and the deadlines that carry a lifelong penalty if you miss them. No sign-up required.
Read the Turning 65 guide Get the free 295-page bookWho you’ll be working with
Gerontologist · Registered Social Security Analyst® · U.S. Air Force Veteran
Darin Weidauer is an independent Medicare insurance agent (CA License #0M00978), credentialed gerontologist, and Registered Social Security Analyst® who helps California retirees and people approaching 65 make sense of their options — clearly, patiently, and with no cost to them. A 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran who retired as an officer, Darin holds five master’s degrees, including an MBA and a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University and a Master’s in Long-Term Care from the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, where he became a credentialed gerontologist in 2014.
A former Professor of Aerospace Studies at Loyola Marymount University who has lectured at more than 50 colleges and universities, Darin now channels that teaching instinct into plain-English Medicare education through one-on-one reviews, no-cost workshops, and his book Retire With Confidence. More about Darin →
Serving communities across California
We work with Californians by phone and video across all 58 counties. Find Medicare guidance for your city:
Or explore Medicare by region — the parts of the state we all know by name:
Near a base? We help military retirees and veterans coordinate TRICARE, VA care and Medicare:
Questions Californians ask
There is no cost to you. Independent Medicare agents are paid by the insurance carriers when you enroll, so our help comparing plans, answering questions, and reviewing your coverage each year is free. Your plan premium is the same whether you enroll with our help or on your own.
You are not alone: Anthem Blue Cross ended its Advantage PPOs in California for 2026 and Aetna closed plans in many counties. A non-renewal notice gives you a Special Enrollment Period and, in most cases, a guaranteed-issue right to buy a Medigap policy without health questions, generally within 63 days of the coverage ending. Our Medicare Advantage page walks through the choices.
Each year, for 60 days beginning on your birthday, you can switch your Medigap policy to any insurer’s plan with the same or lesser benefits, with no medical underwriting. It is the reason Californians should re-shop their supplement every year; we do it for our clients as a matter of course.
Yes, through Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage, a Medicare Advantage plan. What you cannot do is keep Kaiser doctors with Original Medicare and a Medigap policy, because Kaiser does not generally treat Original Medicare patients outside emergencies. Our Kaiser page compares the two paths honestly.
Often, yes. VA health care and Medicare do not coordinate with each other, and TRICARE For Life requires you to have Medicare Parts A and B. Enrolling in Part B on time matters even with VA care, because VA medical coverage is not creditable for Part B and the late penalty lasts for life. Our Veterans page explains how these benefits fit together.
No — and we will always be upfront about that. We represent a number of insurance organizations and products in California, not all of them. The easiest next step is to call us at (702) 706-6564 and we will walk through what fits you. To compare every option on your own, Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, and HICAP (1-800-434-0222) have the complete lists.
Ready when you are
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost. We’ll look at your doctors, your prescriptions, your county and your calendar together.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, CA License #0M00978), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or California HICAP at 1-800-434-0222.