Medicare Insurance Services
Our goal is to make Medicare easy and understandable ... almost fun! This section of our site is here to help current and future clients understand Medicare.
Start here, then follow the path
This section is a short course in Medicare, written to be read in order. The Understanding Medicare menu lists every page in the sequence we recommend, and the foot of each page links to the next one, so you can simply keep going.
Nothing here takes more than a few minutes to read. By the end you will know what Medicare pays for, how the supplement plans differ from each other, how prescription drug coverage works, and what to do first.
Begin with the checklist
Turning 65?
Congratulations. Turning 65 means you become eligible for Medicare. These pages set out the important information in concise, simple to understand language, so you can walk into your first appointment already knowing what the choices are.
Already a Medicare client?
Think of this as a continuing education program. Plans and prices change, and your own needs change too. The more you know, the easier it is to choose the plan that offers the best value for your needs and your budget.
"Coverage that keeps up with an active life."
Medicare Shouldn't Slow You Down
Most of our clients are not slowing down at 65. They are biking the waterfront, playing pickleball at the courts, and walking the pier at sunset. The point of getting Medicare right the first time is spending less time worrying about paperwork and more time doing exactly that.
It Is As Simple As 1-2-3
Everything you need is in one place. Three steps, in order, from first reading to lifelong support.
Step 1: LEARN
Read the pages in this section. They cover what Medicare pays for, how the supplement plans differ from each other, how prescription drug coverage works, and what to do first.
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Start with the apply for Medicare checklist.
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Compare the plan descriptions.
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Read the Medicare FAQs.
Step 2: APPLY
In a one hour appointment we educate you on your Medicare options and then help you enroll in the plan of your choice. We complete the paperwork for you. You make the decision.
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One hour, in our Santa Barbara office or by phone.
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We explain every option before you choose anything.
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We complete the enrollment paperwork with you.
Step 3: AFTER YOU APPLY
Whenever you have questions, we are here to help. If your life changes and you need to change plans or insurance companies, we help you make those changes. The After You Apply page covers the habits that make a plan easy to live with.
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Call or drop by and we can usually solve problems on the spot.
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We alert you before each annual open enrollment period.
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We review your plan whenever your situation changes.
There Is Never a Charge for Any of Our Services. Why?
You pay the same premium whether you buy directly from the insurance company or through a local, licensed agent. Going it alone does not save you a dollar. It just means nobody is sitting on your side of the table.
Insurance companies pay professional insurance agents to educate clients, complete the initial enrollment, handle ongoing service issues, and provide professional guidance. That cost is already built into the plan. It is not added on top for you.
Same price either way
Your premium is identical whether you enroll direct or through us.
Paid by the carrier, not by you
The insurance company compensates the agent. You are never invoiced.
Service does not stop at enrollment
Claims questions, billing problems, and plan changes are all included.
A licensed, experienced health insurance agent with specific expertise in supplemental insurance for Medicare is your best and most knowledgeable resource. Hopper Insurance Services is here to help YOU.
Your Learning Path
Eleven short reads, in the order we recommend. Follow them straight through, or pick out the one you need.
Apply-for-Medicare Checklist
What to do and when, from six months out to the day your card arrives.
Medicare FAQs
Straight answers to the questions we are asked most often.
Our Philosophy
Why we say start with the best plan that fits comfortably in your budget.
Brief Plan Descriptions
What a supplement is supplementing, and the four plans compared.
Plan G
The richest supplement available to anyone newly eligible today.
Plan N
A lower premium than Plan G, because it pays less: copays, and Part B excess charges are yours.
Plan F
Closed to new enrollees, and still the richest plan for those who hold it.
Advantage Plan
One private plan that bundles Part A, Part B and drug coverage together.
Prescription Drug Plan
How Medicare Part D works, and when you can change it.
After You Apply
Four habits, the four folder system, and the help that never stops.
Still have Medicare questions?
Every way to reach us when something is still unclear.
We Would Love to Earn Your Business
Contact us to set up an informational meeting and learn more about your Medicare options.
Central Coast Medicare Guides
Written for this county, not for the country.