Medicare Agents in California

Medicare in California: How It Works and How to Find Local Help

Medicare itself is a federal program, so the parts (A, B, C, and D), the enrollment periods, and the core rules are the same whether you live in California or anywhere else. What changes locally is which plans are offered where you live, the provider networks available, and a few consumer protections specific to California. This page explains what's different in California and how to find a licensed agent near you.

What's different about Medicare in California

California offers a consumer protection many states don't: the California Birthday Rule. Each year, beginning on your birthday, you have a 60-day window to switch to another Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy with equal or lesser benefits without going through medical underwriting. This lets California residents shop comparable Medigap coverage once a year regardless of health conditions. As everywhere, the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans available to you depend on your county, so two people in different parts of California may see different options.

Free, local Medicare help in California

California's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is called HICAP (the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program). HICAP offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling and has offices throughout the state. For all of your options you can also contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Common questions

Learn more about Medicare

New to Medicare or weighing your options? These plain-language guides explain how it works:

• Medicare basics
• Advantage vs. Supplement
• Enrollment periods
• Medicare glossary
• Medicare Q&A
• All guides