IRMAA Brackets 2027 (and 2026): Medicare Premiums by Income
The IRMAA brackets 2027 are not out yet. CMS usually publishes them in the fall with the new Part B premium, and they will be based on your 2025 tax return.
7 min read
Boomers Insurance Services
Licensed Medicare Agents Near You in Southern California
Medicare guidance you can trust — year after year. Compare Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D plans with a local licensed agent, at no cost to you.
- Licensed in 46 states
- Offices across Southern California
- Se habla español
- No cost to you
Speak With a Licensed Agent
Your agent helps you enroll, compare Medicare options, and choose the coverage that best fits your needs.
Call 1-800-815-1943TTY 711 · Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM PT
Explore Your Medicare Options Online
Answer a few quick questions so a licensed insurance agent can understand your needs and review Medicare plan options available in your area. It takes about 2 minutes.
Start Medicare IntakeThis is a solicitation for insurance. You may be contacted by a licensed insurance agent.
Your way
Explore Your Medicare Options — Your Way
Choose how you’d like to learn about Medicare. Whether you prefer speaking with a licensed insurance agent, reviewing plans online, or scheduling a call, we’re here to help you understand your options.
Speak With a Licensed Agent
Get guidance from a licensed Boomers Insurance agent over the phone.
Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM PT · TTY 711
Simply Enroll Online
Explore Medicare plan options available in your area, including coverage for doctors, prescriptions, and additional benefits.
See plans in my area
Results are based on available plans in your area.
Schedule an Appointment
Book a time to speak with a licensed insurance agent at your convenience.
Medicare plan changes are subject to eligibility and qualifying enrollment periods. Not all consumers qualify to enroll in or change plans at any time of the year. A licensed insurance agent can help determine eligibility based on the consumer’s situation.
A licensed agent walks you through your options, in English or Spanish.
How it works
Three steps to a plan you understand
There is no cost for an agent’s help, and no pressure to decide on the first call.
Tell us about you
Your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget and how you prefer to get care. By phone, online or at an office.
We compare the plans in your county
A licensed agent reviews the Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D plans offered where you live and explains the differences in plain language.
Enroll, and keep your agent
Your agent helps you enroll and stays your contact year after year: new cards, plan changes, questions about a bill.
Medicare basics
Medicare vs Medicare Advantage vs Medigap: what’s the difference?
Original Medicare is Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) from the federal government. A Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) gives you your Part A and Part B coverage through a private company that contracts with Medicare, usually with drug coverage included. A Medigap policy (Medicare Supplement) works alongside Original Medicare and helps pay the costs Original Medicare leaves to you.
Medicare, in four parts (plus Medigap)
Part A
Hospital Insurance
Inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice and some home health care.
Part B
Medical Insurance
Doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services and durable medical equipment.
Part C
Medicare Advantage
Part A and Part B through a private plan that contracts with Medicare; most plans include drug coverage.
Part D
Drug coverage
Prescription drug coverage from a private plan, added to Original Medicare.
Medigap
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Sold by private companies; helps pay some of the costs Original Medicare leaves to you, such as deductibles and coinsurance.
Two ways to put your coverage together
Option 1
Original Medicare, with add-ons
Keep Part A and Part B from the federal government and add what you need.
Part APart BPart D planMedigap policy
- Any provider in the US that accepts Medicare
- A separate Part D plan for prescriptions
- A Medigap policy helps pay deductibles and coinsurance
Option 2
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
One plan from a private company that contracts with Medicare.
Included in one plan
Part APart BUsually Part D
- Part A, Part B and usually Part D in one plan
- A provider network, with referrals in most HMOs
- A yearly out-of-pocket maximum; many plans add dental, vision or hearing benefits
Side by side
Original Medicare
- Who runs it
- The federal government
- Doctor choice
- Any provider in the US that accepts Medicare
- Drug coverage
- Not included; add a Part D plan
- Extra benefits
- Routine dental, vision and hearing generally not covered
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Deductibles and coinsurance, with no yearly limit on what you pay
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
- Who runs it
- Private companies that contract with Medicare
- Doctor choice
- HMOs generally need in-network providers and referrals; PPOs allow out-of-network care at a higher cost
- Drug coverage
- Usually included
- Extra benefits
- Many plans include some dental, vision and hearing benefits; they vary by plan
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Copays or coinsurance up to the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket maximum
Medigap (Medicare Supplement)
- Who runs it
- Private insurers; it works with Original Medicare
- Doctor choice
- Same as Original Medicare
- Drug coverage
- Not included; add a Part D plan
- Extra benefits
- Not included; stand-alone dental or vision insurance can be bought
- Out-of-pocket costs
- The policy helps pay deductibles and coinsurance, depending on the plan
| Feature | Original Medicare | Medicare Advantage (Part C) | Medigap (Medicare Supplement) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | The federal government | Private companies that contract with Medicare | Private insurers; it works with Original Medicare |
| Doctor choice | Any provider in the US that accepts Medicare | HMOs generally need in-network providers and referrals; PPOs allow out-of-network care at a higher cost | Same as Original Medicare |
| Drug coverage | Not included; add a Part D plan | Usually included | Not included; add a Part D plan |
| Extra benefits | Routine dental, vision and hearing generally not covered | Many plans include some dental, vision and hearing benefits; they vary by plan | Not included; stand-alone dental or vision insurance can be bought |
| Out-of-pocket costs | Deductibles and coinsurance, with no yearly limit on what you pay | Copays or coinsurance up to the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket maximum | The policy helps pay deductibles and coinsurance, depending on the plan |
The table is a general guide. Costs and benefits differ from plan to plan, so compare the actual plans offered where you live.
Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: which one fits you?
A Medigap policy keeps Original Medicare and any doctor in the United States who accepts it, helps pay Original Medicare’s deductibles and coinsurance, and pairs with a separate Part D plan. A Medicare Advantage plan puts hospital, medical and usually drug coverage in one plan with a provider network, a yearly out-of-pocket maximum and often some dental, vision or hearing benefits. You cannot have both at the same time. Which one fits you depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and how you prefer to pay; a licensed agent can compare the plans offered in your county with you.
Enrollment periods
When can you sign up or change plans?
Medicare has set windows for joining and changing plans. The dates are the same every year; outside them you need a Special Enrollment Period.
Annual Enrollment Period
October 15 – December 7 · Everyone with Medicare
Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes start January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
January 1 – March 31 · People already in a Medicare Advantage Plan
One change: switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan, or go back to Original Medicare and add a Part D plan.
General Enrollment Period
January 1 – March 31 · People who did not sign up when first eligible
Sign up for Part A and/or Part B. Coverage starts the month after you sign up; a late enrollment penalty may apply.
Turning 65? Your 7-month window
Initial Enrollment Period
-3
-2
-1
65
+1
+2
+3
Starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it. Sign up before your birthday month and coverage usually starts the month you turn 65. If you have coverage from a job, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty.
Life changed? You may not have to wait
Special Enrollment Periods
- You move out of your plan’s service area
- You lose coverage from a job, a union or Medicaid
- Your plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area
- You qualify for Extra Help with drug costs
Each one has its own rules and deadline. A licensed agent can check whether one applies to you.
Medicare guides
Turning 65, or reviewing your plan for 2027?
Plain-language guides to Medicare’s enrollment dates and rules, checked against official Medicare and California sources. Annual Enrollment runs October 15 – December 7, 2026.
Medicare Blogs
Medicare, explained in plain language
What Is Medicare? A Plain-English Guide to the Basics
What is Medicare? It is the federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, and for some younger people with a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS. It has four parts: A for hospital care, B for medical care, C for Medicare Advantage plans and D for prescription drugs.
8 min read
Medicare Cost in 2027: What You Pay Now and What's Confirmed
How much Medicare costs depends on which parts you have. In 2026 the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the Part A hospital deductible is $1,736. CMS has not yet announced the 2027 Part A and Part B amounts, while the 2027 Part D cap and a few other figures are confirmed.
11 min read
Does Medicare Pay for Hearing Aids? What Is and Isn’t Covered
Does Medicare pay for hearing aids? Not under Original Medicare: it doesn’t cover hearing aids or the exams to fit them, so you pay the full cost. Part B does cover diagnostic hearing and balance exams.
9 min read
Local help
Medicare help near you in Southern California
Boomers Insurance Services is a Medicare agency based in Downey, with licensed agents across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and agents who also serve San Diego and the Bay Area. Meet a licensed Medicare agent at one of our offices, by phone, by video, or at your home. Many of our agents speak Spanish, and we hold Medicare 101 workshops in person every month.
10 offices
in California, Nevada and Texas
105 licensed agents
listed on our site
4 languages
spoken by our agents
16 counties
with a local agent
Pick your county to see the licensed Medicare agents near you.
Where are you?
Headquarters
Boomers Insurance Services
8408 Florence Ave, Downey, CA 90240
(562) 904-9209 · 1-800-815-1943 (TTY 711)
Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM PT · Walk-ins welcome
Directions and the Downey office pageFAQ
Medicare questions people ask us
Short answers from licensed agents. For the full list, see the Medicare FAQs, or call 1-800-815-1943 (TTY 711).
How do I find a licensed Medicare agent near me?
Use Find an Agent to search by city, county or language, or browse the Medicare agents in your county. Every Boomers agent is licensed in California and appointed with the plans they offer.
You can also walk into one of our offices, including the Downey headquarters, or call 1-800-815-1943 (TTY 711), Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific.
What does Medicare cover?
Original Medicare has two parts. Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing care and hospice. Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services and medical equipment.
Prescription drugs come through a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. Routine dental, vision and hearing are generally not covered by Original Medicare; some Medicare Advantage plans include them.
What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?
A Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) replaces how you receive your Part A and Part B benefits: a private company that contracts with Medicare delivers them, usually with drug coverage and a provider network.
A Medigap policy (Medicare Supplement) works alongside Original Medicare and helps pay the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves to you. You keep any provider in the United States that accepts Medicare. You cannot have both at the same time.
Does it cost anything to work with a Boomers agent?
No. There is no cost to you for a licensed agent’s help; agents are paid by the plan you enroll in. An agent can only enroll you in the plans they are appointed with.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.
Can I get help with Medicare in Spanish?
Yes. Many of our agents speak Spanish, and some speak Vietnamese or Chinese. Filter Find an Agent by language, or ask for a Spanish-speaking agent when you call.
Our Spanish-language Medicare guide, Información en español, explains enrollment dates and rules for California.