Learn About Your Medicare Options for 2024:

Medicare Plans in San Diego

If you are searching for more information on San Diego Medicare Plan Options including Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, and Medicare Advantage Plans than you have come to the right place!

This section of our website will help you understand your options and see our recommendations for specific plans.

Use this table of contents or scroll down to navigate through the plans information and to see details on specific providers / carriers.

Are you ready to enroll in Medicare insurance? Start with a quote and our Medicare plan team will answer any questions you have to start your enrollment.

Popular Medicare Plan Providers / Carriers in San Diego

Use these pages to explore your San Diego Supplement Insurance and Advantage Plans.

Blue Shield

Blue Shield offers Supplement Plans with “extra” benefits like SilverSneakers and hearing aids. Blue Shield is a nationally recognized insurance provider with a wonderful reputation.

Scan

Prior to 2024, SCAN Advantage plans were the best option with access to Scripps doctors. However, Scripps no longer accepts ANY Medicare Advantage plans. SCAN does offer access to other doctor networks.

Anthem

Anthem offers Advantage plans and Supplement Insurance plans with the well loved gym membership SilverSneakers. For those who qualify, Anthem still offers the popular but retired Plan F.

Kaiser

Kaiser's Medicare offering showcases the numerous facilities all throughout California. The Kaiser Medicare Advantage HMO offers access to Kaiser facilities and the participating providers.

UnitedHealthcare®

UnitedHealthcare® offers superb Medicare services including the largest number of Supplement Insurance and Advantage Plans with access to multiple San Diego doctor networks and hospitals. 

Sharp

Sharp HealthCare is one of the major medical providers here in San Diego. Sharp has made it their focus to offer quality healthcare at an affordable price for the community of downtown San Diego.

VIDEO: Original Medicare vs Supplement Insurance vs Advantage Plans

Video Caption

What is the difference between Original Medicare Supplement Medicare, and an Advantage Medicare plan? These 3 types of plans are the outline for your Medicare Health Insurance so let’s take a look.

Original Medicare. Also called Part A and Part B. This covers hospital stays, doctor visits and inpatient or outpatient care. This won’t cover all your costs if you need care. You’ll pay for a lot of it out of your own pocket. Plus A+B won’t cover your prescription drugs. so you’ll want to pair your Original Medicare with a Supplement plan or an Advantage plan.

Option 1 is enrolling in a Medicare Supplement Plan… these are often the most popular plans because almost all doctors accept these plans and you’ll have very few out-of-pocket costs. You’ll now have coverage for all of your out of pocket costs for doctor visits and hospital stays that were not covered by Original Medicare.

Supplement plans unfortunately do not cover prescription drugs. You’ll need to select a prescription drug plan to pair with your supplemental plan. So you have Original Medicare paired with Supplement plan that covers your out of pocket costs. You also have a Part D Prescription drug plan to cover your drug costs.

If you don’t want a Supplement plan you can choose a Medicare Advantage Plan. health insurance providers attempt to get creative by bundling their additional health coverage not covered by original Medicare, prescription drug coverage, hearing and vision coverage into one plan. This Advantage plan will also cover your out of pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare. However, you will have less access to doctors than with a Supplement plan.

When you turn 65, I suggest you evaluate whether you want a Supplement plan and a Part D plan or if you want the Advantage plan that covers both.

Start with the Original Medicare Plan

You can start the enrollment process more than 90 days before you turn 65 years old. We recommend enrolling in Original Medicare as soon as you are eligible.

Here is an overview of how the different Medicare plans are connected, so you can get maximum coverage from your Medicare plan. At any time, you can contact us for Medicare plan enrollment support.

 

What Are San Diego Original Medicare Plans Parts A + B?

Understanding your services and what will be covered with your Medicare Plan is essential to understanding your benefits and making a smart decision about your new health insurance Medicare plan here in San Diego.

For this reason let’s take a look at Original Medicare, how to enroll, and why pairing it with Supplement Insurance or an Advantage Plan will make sure your Medicare package is complete.

  • Part A is most commonly paired with Part B to complete Original Medicare.
  • Part A covers hospital stays and inpatient care.
  • Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care.
  • Part A is considered “entitled” while the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will be $174.80 for 2024.

Read on to see all the details of San Diego Medicare plans. It is important you understand how Original Medicare and Supplement or Advantage plans work together. 

Our services are free! Insurance carriers agree that brokers like us offer valuable tools during enrollment. They offer commissions when we help you enroll in your new Medicare plan. Give us a call today and get free support from our licensed insurance agents – (760) 484-0979

Keaton & Alexa Marks

HealthyMarks Medicare Insurance - #0L47187

What Are Medicare Supplement Insurance and Advantage Plans For?

Supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage Plans are built to cover the gaps in your Original Medicare.

For example if you enroll in Part A and Part B of Original Medicare, you will have access to doctors and they will provide you with services but you will have a very large deductible. The Part A deductible is $1,600 in 2024. This Part A deductible is a very large gap in your insurance coverage.  If you go ahead and pair your Original Medicare with a Supplement Insurance plan or an Advantage Plan you will be able to reduce that deductible to only a few hundred dollars. The Supplement Plan G and Plan N reduce your deductible to just a couple hundred dollars.

Original Medicare should always be paired with Supplement Insurance or an Advantage Plan!

Original Medicare is a great program but alone will not cover all your healthcare costs. You’ll still pay for a lot of your medical bills out of your own pocket. Furthermore, neither Parts A nor B cover the costs for prescription drugs. You’ll want to pair your Original Medicare with Medicare Supplement Insurance and a Part D Prescription Drug Plan, or a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Supplement Insurance and Advantage Plans are both extremely beneficial while also relatively cheap for the insured. I highly recommend evaluating both of these plans and identifying which is best for you. I do not recommend signing up for Part A and Part B Original Medicare without a Supplement Plan or an Advantage Plan.

 

You have two main options after signing up for Original Medicare:

Supplement Insurance Plans

Why Join Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans?

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan Overview

Medicare Supplement Insurance has a few names including “Medigap” Insurance or a “Supplemental” plan. These plans to cover the costs or “gaps” and will “supplement” your Original Medicare benefits.

​A Medicare Supplement Plan is often the most popular solution because almost every doctor in San Diego and nationwide will accept these plans. Medicare Supplement Insurance does not cover costs for prescription drugs. You’ll need to select a Part D Prescription Drug Plans to pair with your Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Prior to 2020, the most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance in San Diego has been Plan F. However, if you are not eligible for Medicare before 2020, Plan F is no longer available to you. The best San Diego Supplement plan is Plan N.

 

Add Part D Prescription Drug Plan to Medicare Supplement Insurance

Since Original Medicare Parts A and B will not cover your prescription drugs costs, it is common to pair Medicare Supplement Insurance with a Part D Prescription Drug Plan.

There are multiple drug plans to choose from, with some covering more expensive drugs, while others only cover generic drugs. Our Medicare team at HealthyMarks is able to take your list of prescriptions and estimate your yearly prescription costs to help you enroll in the Part D Prescription Drug plan that matches your needs.

The perfect trio of Medicare Insurance: Original Medicare, a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, and a Part D Prescription Drug Plan.

Advantage Insurance Plans

Why Join Medicare Advantage Plans?

Medicare Advantage Plans Overview

If you wish to cover the costs Original Medicare doesn’t cover, you can select a Medicare Advantage Plan. Health insurance providers get creative by bundling additional health insurance coverage, prescription drug coverage, as well as hearing and vision insurance into one plan.

​Medicare Advantage Plans are different from Medicare Supplement Insurance because you will select a network of doctors. Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance provides access to nearly every doctor in the United States. Here in San Diego, you’d select a Medicare Advantage Plan with a network like Scripps, Kaiser, or Sharp.

Similar to how some of your Original Medicare costs will be covered by the government, your Medicare Advantage Plan will also be inexpensive for you the insured. Here in San Diego, our HealthyMarks team offers great plans well under $50 and some more robust plans for under $200.

Selecting Medicare Plans – Frequently Asked Questions

  • Medicare Enrollment
  • General Plan Info
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  • 1. How do I get my Medicare Number?
     

    After you enroll in Original Medicare, you'll receive your Medicare number in the mail. This can take up to 3 weeks for the Social Security Office to process your application and send you your Medicare number.

    You can also login to your social security account and view your Medicare number there.

    Enroll in Original Medicare here: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/

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  • 2. Should I enroll in Medicare by myself or with the help of a broker?
     

    I encourage you to enroll with the help of a Medicare broker like HealthyMarks Medicare. Although you can do it alone, there are no drawbacks to working with a broker. Our expertise and experience will prove valuable to you during the enrollment process and during your ongoing coverage. The services offered by our team are free to you because insurance companies have agreed to pay commissions to brokers to help people like you enroll.

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  • 3. What’s the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
     

    Medicare is a federal government-sponsored healthcare program for those 65 and over, and for younger people who are disabled.

    Medicaid, or Medi-Cal in California, is a healthcare program for low-income individuals who could not otherwise afford health insurance.

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  • 4. Should I stick with my Large Group Employer health insurance policy or switch to Medicare?
     

    Large Group Employers have access to health insurance plans that the rest of us do not. Many of the large group plans have what is called “Composite Rating.” Or in other words, these plans do not get more expensive when you get older. You will pay the same as a younger employee.

    Because of this, some of these large group employer plans are competitive with the Medicare plans in San Diego.

    You should evaluate both and select the better insurance plan.

    To learn more about comparing Medicare plans, click here.

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  • 5. Should I still switch to Medicare even if my family is covered by my insurance plan?
     

    Having a spouse as a dependent on your group insurance plan may impact whether or not you switch to Medicare. When you enroll in Medicare, your spouse can then enroll in his/her own individual market health insurance plan because losing insurance is a “qualifying event” to switch to a new plan. However, maybe your spouse doesn’t want to make that switch or your employer is contributing towards both you and your dependent’s insurance premiums. In this scenario, consider speaking with a HealthyMarks professional for a Plan Evaluation.

    You should evaluate both options and select the better option for you and your family.

    To learn more about the evaluation of group insurance vs Medicare, click here.

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  • 6. Should I stick with my group health insurance policy or should I switch to Medicare?
     

    Typically, Medicare pricing is much better than what is available to employees through their work. Medicare plans are generally much less expensive because the government is helping pay the monthly premium. Furthermore, these Medicare plans are very well received by the members who enroll in them. Members often experience less out of pocket expenses when on Medicare.

    You should evaluate both options and select the better insurance plan.

    To learn more about the evaluation of group insurance vs Medicare, click here.

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  • 7. Should I stick with my current Individual Health Insurance policy or switch to Medicare?
     

    Typically, Medicare pricing is much better than what is available to employees through their work or what is available on the individual market. Medicare plans are generally much less expensive because the government is helping pay the monthly premium. Furthermore, these Medicare plans are very well received by the members who enroll in them. Members often experience less out of pocket expenses when on Medicare.

    You should evaluate both and select the better insurance plan.

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  • 8. Should I switch to Medicare or Should I stay with the insurance I currently have in San Diego?
     

    Typically, Medicare pricing is much better than what is available to employees through their work or what is available on the individual market. Medicare plans are generally much less expensive because the government is helping pay the monthly premium. Furthermore, these Medicare plans are very well received by the members who enroll in them. Members often experience less out of pocket expenses when on Medicare.

    You should evaluate both and select the better insurance plan.

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  • 1. Can I get dental, vision, and hearing insurance coverage through Medicare?
     

    Yes, when you enroll in Medicare, you will have the opportunity to pair additional benefits like dental insurance, vision insurance, and hearing aids.

    Many Advantage plans offer these additional benefits at no additional cost while Supplement plans often require you to pay extra for these additional benefits.

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  • 2. Do I get access to SilverSneakers when I enroll in Medicare?
     

    In San Diego, Anthem, Aetna, Blue Shield, and SCAN all offer Silver Sneakers as a free benefit for their Medicare members.

    Some carriers offer a different fitness package. Take a look here for a detailed breakdown of each carrier's fitness offering.

    UnitedHealthcare® has their own gym and wellness package called “Renew Active.”

    Kaiser has a similar program called “Active&Fit” built for Kaiser’s Medicare members.

     

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  • 3. Should I pair my Original Medicare with a Supplement Plan or Advantage Plan?
     

    Yes. You should absolutely pair your Original Medicare Plan with additional coverage. You will have more complete coverage if you pair it with a Supplement or Advantage Plan. 

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  • 4. What is the IRMAA Extra Premium Charge for Higher Earners?
     

    IRMAA stands for income-related monthly adjustment amount and is an additional amount that some people might have to pay along with their Medicare premium.

    The Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) is an amount you may pay in addition to your Part B or Part D premium if your income is above a certain level. If you are a higher earner, you will likely pay more for your Medicare plans.

    Click here to learn more about IRMAA and how to avoid it.

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  • 5. Do I get a free gym membership when I enroll in Medicare?
     

    Many carriers offer a fitness package to their Medicare members. Take a look here for a detailed breakdown of each carrier's fitness offering.

    In San Diego, Anthem, Aetna, Blue Shield, and SCAN all offer Silver Sneakers as a free benefit for their Medicare members.

    UnitedHealthcare® has their own gym and wellness package called “Renew Active.”

    Kaiser has a similar program called “Active&Fit” built for Kaiser’s Medicare members.

     

    More

Insurance carriers pay brokers like us to help you enroll in your Medicare plans.

So you can enroll with a professional free of charge!