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I talk to people in California every week who’ve spent hours researching Medicare online — and most of what they found doesn’t even apply to their county. Medicare Advantage plans are approved at the county level, so the only numbers that matter to you are the Los Angeles County numbers. Here they are.
“How do people afford this?” A client asked me that recently, and it’s the right question — because the answer depends almost entirely on choices made in about a two-week window. The plans below are the raw material for that choice.
Whether you’re in Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Arcadia, or anywhere else in Los Angeles County, the numbers below are yours — Medicare sets plan availability county-wide.
Medicare Advantage in Los Angeles County: the 2026 numbers
- 121 Medicare Advantage plans are approved in Los Angeles County for 2026.
- 116 of them have a $0 monthly premium.
- 22 different insurance organizations offer plans here, including Alignment Health Plan, SCAN Health Plan, Aetna Medicare, UnitedHealthcare.
- the highest 2026 overall CMS Star Rating in the county is 4.5 out of 5, and 59 plans are rated 4 out of 5 or higher.
- in-network out-of-pocket maximums range from $199 to $9,250, and premiums run from $0 to $36.30 per month.
- of the county’s 1,705,197 Medicare beneficiaries (CMS, 2026-March), 57% chose Medicare Advantage — the rest stayed on Original Medicare, most with a supplement and/or drug plan.
The number of plans isn’t the hard part. The hard part is that two plans with the same premium can treat the same prescription completely differently. That’s the detail that catches people.
HMO or PPO? What Los Angeles County actually offers
Of the 121 plans here, 113 are HMO-style and 8 are PPO-style. The difference matters more than most people realize. An HMO generally requires you to stay inside its network and often to get referrals — in exchange, costs are usually lower and more predictable. A PPO lets you see out-of-network doctors (at a higher cost), which matters if you split time between states, keep a specialist in another city, or just want the escape hatch.
The trap to avoid: choosing HMO vs. PPO by premium alone. A PPO that costs $30 more per month but keeps your out-of-state specialist in reach can be far cheaper than a zero-premium HMO that forces a new doctor and a new workup.
How the plans here rate
CMS scores every Medicare Advantage plan on a 5-star scale using member complaints, care quality, and customer service. In Los Angeles County, 59 of the 121 plans carry a 2026 overall Star Rating of 4 out of 5 or higher, and the highest rating available in the county is 4.5 out of 5. A strong rating is a good sign — but it can’t tell you whether your doctors are in a plan’s network or your prescriptions are on its formulary. That check is personal, and it’s the single most important step before enrolling.
To see how the plans in the county rate side by side, search the plans at your zip code — or bring us your doctor and prescription list and we’ll do the checking with you.
What “$0 premium” really means in Los Angeles County
“I got a bill for $19,000.” A real sentence from a real call — from someone whose plan looked fine until it wasn’t. This is why the out-of-pocket maximum matters more than the premium:
116 of the county’s 121 plans charge no monthly premium — and that’s the number the TV ads shout. Here’s the number they don’t: the maximum out-of-pocket. In Los Angeles County it runs from $199 to $9,250 per year, with a median of $2,200. That’s the amount you could actually be responsible for in a bad health year, and the spread between plans is thousands of dollars.
Drug deductibles are just as uneven: 40 plans charge no drug deductible at all while others charge up to $615 before drug coverage kicks in. Same county, same $0 premium — very different first trip to the pharmacy in January.
The Part B Give-Back in Los Angeles County
Here’s a benefit most people first hear about from a TV commercial and assume is a scam: some Medicare Advantage plans include a Part B premium reduction — lowering what you’re responsible for paying toward your Part B premium each month. It’s real. In Los Angeles County, 31 plans include a reduction in 2026, and the largest available here is $185 per month. How it shows up depends on how you pay your premium, and processing can take a few months to start.
A larger reduction doesn’t automatically make a plan the better choice — networks, drug coverage, and out-of-pocket limits differ plan to plan and can outweigh the monthly amount. Ask us which reductions apply to your situation, or see the plans at your zip code.
Who’s on Medicare in Los Angeles County
1,705,197 people in Los Angeles County are enrolled in Medicare as of CMS’s 2026 March Monthly Enrollment data; 974,786 of them (57%) chose a Medicare Advantage plan while 730,411 stayed on Original Medicare. That split matters: it tells you roughly how your neighbors weighed the same decision you’re making — though the right answer is personal, not popular.
548,085 county residents qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The county has 9 Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) built specifically for that situation — often with benefits regular plans don’t include, and most people who qualify have no idea they exist.
Dental, vision, and hearing in Los Angeles County plans
Original Medicare covers none of these — which surprises almost everyone. Among Los Angeles County’s Medicare Advantage plans: 121 include dental benefits, 121 include vision, and 109 include hearing coverage. The fine print varies enormously — annual maximums, in-network dentist availability, and whether “dental” means cleanings only or actual crowns and dentures. If dental work is on your horizon, this comparison alone can be worth hundreds of dollars a year.
Stand-alone drug coverage (Part D) in California
If you stay on Original Medicare — with or without a supplement — you’ll want a stand-alone Part D drug plan. California has 12 PDPs for 2026. Premiums run from $0 to $227.80 per month (median $107), and 2 plans price at or below the regional benchmark — meaning people who qualify for Extra Help can get them for $0.
A pattern worth knowing: the cheapest Part D premiums usually pair with the highest deductibles. The only way to know which drug plan is actually cheapest for you is to price your exact prescription list against each plan — that’s precisely what we do on a consultation call, and it takes about ten minutes. Or run the comparison yourself at your zip code.
A California rule worth knowing
California has a Medigap ‘birthday rule’: each year around your birthday you can switch to a plan of equal or lesser benefit with no health questions.
When you can actually enroll
Availability means nothing if you miss your window. The three that matter for most people in Los Angeles County:
- Initial Enrollment Period — the 7 months around your 65th birthday (3 before your birthday month, your birthday month, 3 after). Missing it can mean permanent late-enrollment penalties on Part B and Part D.
- Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15 – Dec 7) — when anyone can switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for the following year. This is when the plan numbers above get reshuffled — and when reviewing your plan against next year’s version actually pays.
- Still working past 65? If you have credible employer coverage, you may be able to delay Part B without penalty — but the rules are specific, and getting them wrong is one of the most expensive Medicare mistakes there is. This one is worth a conversation before your birthday, not after.
Questions people actually ask me — in their own words
“Do I have to have Part B?” If you’re still working with credible employer coverage, maybe not yet — but the delay rules are specific, and getting them wrong triggers a lifetime penalty. This is the single most common question on my calls, and the answer is personal enough that I’d never answer it generically.
“Is drugs covered?” Only if your plan includes Part D coverage — 115 of 121 Medicare Advantage plans in Los Angeles County do. If you go with Original Medicare plus a supplement, you’ll add a stand-alone drug plan.
“What is Part A and Part B, actually?” Part A is hospital coverage (usually premium-free), Part B is medical/doctor coverage (standard premium applies). Everything else — Advantage plans, supplements, drug plans — builds on top of those two.
“I have trust issues.” Someone said that to me flat-out on a call once, and honestly — good. You should. This industry earns skepticism. It’s why every number on this page comes from the official CMS plan file rather than my opinion, and why a consultation with me starts with your situation, not a pitch.
Quick answers for Los Angeles County
Do all 121 plans include drug coverage? No — 115 of them do. If you pick one of the others, you generally cannot add a stand-alone drug plan on top of it, which surprises a lot of people.
Is the biggest carrier automatically the best here? No. Alignment Health Plan offers the most plans in Los Angeles County, but plan count isn’t quality — the right plan depends on your doctors, your pharmacy, and your prescriptions, and it’s often not from the biggest name on the list.
Can I get help without being sold something? Yes. A consultation with me is a conversation, not a pitch — we look at your doctors, your prescriptions, and your timeline, and you leave knowing exactly where you stand. If a plan change doesn’t make sense for you, I’ll tell you that too.
Where can I get local Medicare help in Los Angeles County? Right here — Guardian Health & Wealth works with Los Angeles County residents by phone or video at (270) 721-5069, so you get local guidance without leaving home. Consultations are free, and there’s never an obligation.
The towns of Los Angeles County
Everything on this page applies across the county — including Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Arcadia, Artesia, Avalon, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Bradbury, Burbank, Calabasas, Carson, Cerritos, Claremont, Commerce, Compton, Covina, Cudahy, Culver City, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, El Monte, El Segundo, Gardena, Glendale, Glendora, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, Huntington Park, Industry, Inglewood, Irwindale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lawndale, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palmdale, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Marino, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City, Torrance, Vernon, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood, Westlake Village and Whittier — because Medicare plan availability is set at the county level.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 5 organizations which offer 50 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Get your free Los Angeles County Medicare Snapshot
I put the Los Angeles County plan landscape into a one-page snapshot: what’s available, what it costs, and the deadlines that apply to your situation — in plain English, specific to where you live.
Prefer to just talk it through? Schedule a free Medicare enrollment consultation — a one-on-one call about your specific doctors, prescriptions, and timeline. Or if you’d rather learn first, the free workshop walks through the decisions in order.
Ready to see actual plans side by side? Search and compare the plans available at your zip code — you can review details and even enroll directly online.
Getting to know Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County covers about 4,060 square miles of California.
Most residents live in or around Agoura Hills, with Alhambra, Arcadia, Artesia, Avalon, Azusa making up much of the rest. At about 420 Medicare beneficiaries per square mile it’s one of the more densely settled parts of California, which usually means more provider choice inside a single plan’s network.
According to the CMS hospital registry, 88 Medicare-registered hospitals serve the county: Lac/Olive View-Ucla Medical Center (Sylmar); Antelope Valley Hospital (Lancaster); Glendale Mem Hospital & Hlth Center (Glendale); Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (Los Angeles); Providence Little Co Of Mary Med Ctr San Pedro (San Pedro); Community Hospital Of Huntington Park (Huntington Park). 53 operate emergency services.
One of these is a federally designated Critical Access Hospital — a designation created to keep hospital care within reach of rural communities. For Medicare planning, that matters: in areas served by critical access hospitals, checking how a plan’s network treats both your local hospital and the larger regional systems you might be referred to is one of the most consequential parts of the decision.
Health context matters to plan choice, too. CDC county data shows about 13% of Los Angeles County adults live with diabetes, 5% with coronary heart disease, and 5% with COPD. If you manage one of these conditions, it’s worth knowing the county has 33 Chronic-Condition Special Needs Plans — Medicare Advantage plans designed around specific conditions, with care coordination most standard plans don’t include. Whether one fits you is a network-and-medications question we can answer on a call.
The broader health picture from the same CDC dataset: 30% live with high blood pressure, 20% with arthritis, 19% with depression among Los Angeles County adults. These aren’t just statistics — they map directly to what matters in a plan: tier placement of blood-pressure and antidepressant medications, physical-therapy coverage, and whether your specialists are in network.
For longer-term care, Medicare’s Care Compare registry lists 369 certified nursing homes in the county: Mount San Antonio Gardens (Pomona, 5-star CMS rating); Marycrest Manor (Culver City, 5-star CMS rating); Villa Serena Healthcare Center (Long Beach, 5-star CMS rating); Beachside Post Acute (Torrance, 5-star CMS rating), plus 365 more. (Facility ratings are CMS’s own 5-star quality ratings — worth knowing about even if you hope never to need them, because Original Medicare and Advantage plans cover skilled nursing stays differently.)
The county is also served by 1274 Medicare-certified hospice providers — hospice care is covered under Part A regardless of whether you choose Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage, one of the few benefits that works the same either way.
A wider lens from CMS’s Geographic Variation data: Medicare spent about $17,458 per beneficiary in Los Angeles County in 2024 (standardized, so it’s comparable across regions); local beneficiaries made about 571 emergency-room visits per 1,000 people; and 21% of hospital stays led to a readmission within 30 days. Numbers like these shape what care access and costs actually look like where you live — and they’re part of why the same national plan can perform differently county to county.
How Los Angeles County compares to the rest of California
Averages hide the local picture, so here’s where Los Angeles County actually sits against the other 55 counties in California: 57% of Los Angeles County beneficiaries are in Medicare Advantage, well above the California median of 30%.
- Medicare spends $17,458 per beneficiary here — well above the statewide median of $11,078.
- Emergency-room use runs below the state median (571 visits per 1,000 beneficiaries vs. 625).
- You have 121 plans to choose from, well above the 10 a typical California county sees.
Higher-than-average local spending usually reflects how much care people here actually use — which is exactly why the out-of-pocket maximum on a plan matters more in Los Angeles County than the monthly premium does.
Before you choose: the three questions that decide the rest
The plan counts above tell you what Los Angeles County has on the shelf. They do not tell you which shelf you should be shopping from. These three guides answer that, in the order the decision actually gets made:
What clients say
Written and reviewed by Michael Smith, licensed insurance broker, founder of Guardian Health & Wealth (Bowling Green, KY), and author of 64+: Your Ultimate Guide to Medicare & Retirement Planning.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 5 organizations which offer 50 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Plan data: CMS CY2026 Landscape file (202607) and CMS 2026 Plan Benefit Package files, plan year 2026. Data last verified 2026-07-22. Figures are for Los Angeles County, California and can change; always confirm details with the plan before enrolling. Star Ratings are the 2026 overall CMS ratings, measured on a 5-star scale.