New to Medicare or rethinking your coverage on the Central Coast? As an independent broker, I compare plans across carriers — at no cost to you — and make the decision feel clear.
Quick answer
Santa Barbara County residents can compare the Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D plans an independent broker represents in their ZIP code, at no cost to them. An independent broker does not offer every plan available in the area; for all of your options, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE. Major local health systems include Cottage Health (Santa Barbara, Goleta Valley, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospitals), Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, and Lompoc Valley Medical Center; if you choose a network-based plan, confirm your hospital and doctors are included before enrolling. Free, unbiased counseling is also available through the local HICAP program (1-800-434-0222).
From Santa Barbara and Goleta to Santa Maria and Lompoc, choosing Medicare coverage shouldn't be confusing. I'm an independent broker, so I'm not steering you toward one company's products. Instead, I review the plans available where you live and help you understand what each one covers, what it costs, and where the trade-offs are.
It starts with a relaxed conversation about your doctors, medications, and priorities — no jargon, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
An all-in-one option that often includes prescription, dental, and vision coverage, frequently with low or $0 monthly premiums.
Works with Original Medicare to cover deductibles and copays, giving you predictable costs and nationwide doctor access.
Drug coverage chosen around your specific prescriptions to keep your total yearly cost as low as possible.
Plans designed for specific chronic conditions or for those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Helping Medicare-eligible residents in:
I'm not employed by any carrier, so my recommendation is based on your needs — not a company's quota.
I explain Medicare terms in everyday English until your options genuinely make sense.
You reach me directly — not a call center — before, during, and after you enroll.
Santa Barbara County is served by hospitals and health systems including the Cottage Health network — Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital — along with Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria and Lompoc Valley Medical Center. With a Medicare Advantage plan, these providers must be in your plan's network — so I confirm your hospital and doctors are covered before you enroll. With Original Medicare plus a Medigap plan, you can see any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability, premiums, and provider networks are set by ZIP code and county. The South Coast (Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria) often has a different plan line-up than North County communities like Santa Maria and Lompoc or the Santa Ynez Valley — and the lowest-premium plan isn't always the lowest total cost once your doctors and prescriptions are factored in. That's why I compare the specific options available at your exact address.
For free, unbiased Medicare counseling, Santa Barbara County residents can contact HICAP through the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens at 805-928-5663 or 1-800-434-0222 — part of California's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov to review all of your options.
Yes. I help Medicare-eligible residents across Santa Barbara County — including Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Goleta, Lompoc, Carpinteria, Buellton, and Solvang — by phone, video, or in person.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces Original Medicare and often adds extra benefits but uses a plan network. Medigap works alongside Original Medicare to cover out-of-pocket costs and lets you see any doctor who accepts Medicare. The right choice depends on your health, budget, and doctors — which is what I help you figure out.
Yes, completely. The insurance carriers compensate brokers, so there is never a charge to you for my guidance, comparisons, or enrollment assistance.
With Original Medicare (often paired with a Medigap plan), you can use any provider nationwide that accepts Medicare — including the Cottage Health system (Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital), Sansum Clinic on the South Coast, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, and Lompoc Valley Medical Center. With a Medicare Advantage plan, your hospitals and doctors must be in that plan's network — and because networks are set one plan year at a time, the check that counts is whether your providers are in the plan's network for next year, not this year. I confirm your preferred doctors, medical group, and hospital are covered before you enroll.
Yes. Medicare Advantage and Part D plan lineups are set county by county and are refreshed every year — plans can change their premiums, benefits, provider networks, and drug lists, and carriers sometimes discontinue a plan or stop serving a county altogether. That is why the Santa Barbara County lineup is never identical to Los Angeles or Ventura, and why last year's comparison does not answer this year's question. If a plan you are enrolled in is not renewing, it must tell you in writing, and those notices typically arrive by early October, before Annual Enrollment opens on October 15. You are not left without options: a discontinued plan opens a special enrollment period and a Medigap guaranteed-issue right that lets you buy certain supplement plans with no health questions — both on firm deadlines. Our guide to what to do when your Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued in California walks through those windows step by step.
Several places, all free. HICAP — the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program, California's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — offers free, unbiased counseling through the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens at 805-928-5663 or 1-800-434-0222. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE let you compare every plan available at your address. And an independent local broker can walk you through the plans they represent at no cost to you, because brokers are paid by the insurance carriers.
Last reviewed: June 2026. Medicare figures reflect 2026 and can change annually — confirm current amounts at Medicare.gov. Educational information only, not individualized advice.
I also help Medicare beneficiaries in neighboring areas, including Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley, San Luis Obispo County, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County, plus a guide for those turning 65 in Southern California.