Cheri Brown

Medicare Advantage Plans generally require you to use a network of providers. They tend to have no or low monthly premiums and copays.

If you choose a Medicare Supplement, you do not have to stay in a network. You may go to any provider who accepts Medicare, and you will have higher monthly premiums.

You must always pay your Medicare Part B premium.

Medicare Plans in Santa Clara County

Need help finding the right Medicare Plans Santa Clara County? We can help!

What do Kaiser and Stanford have in Common?

Both Kaiser and Stanford have their own network of physicians, if you want to use those physicians you must work their Medical Group. There are many Medical Groups (also known as networks) in Santa Clara County. When choosing a Medicare insurance plan, know which networks have your preferred doctors, and which plans partner with those networks. Some insurance companies have their own networks to add to the confusion! There are 12+ medical groups in Santa Clara including:

Santa Clara County Independent Physicians Association (SCCIPA)
Physician’s Medical Group of San Jose (PMGSJ)
Northern California Provider Network
Stanford Medicine HealthCare
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
El Camino Health

If You Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan:

When you choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will also need to choose a network. To ensure all your doctors are in the same network, go to the Medical Groups website to confirm. When you choose your plan with that insurance company confirm the plan accepts your doctors. Most insurance companies have multiple plans, and each of those plans may contract with different Medical Groups. It can be very confusing and the wrong choice could prevent you from seeing your physician of choice until the next enrollment period when you have the opportunity to change to a plan with your physician.

If You Choose a Medicare Supplement Plan:

Medicare Supplement plans Do NOT require you to work with a network. You may see any physician that accepts Medicare, and you may see physicians across different networks. For example, if you go to a local doctor like Dr. Tami Nguyen of Morgan Hill for primary care you can go to Stanford for a knee replacement.