AEP starts October 15. Get the free Medicare AEP checklist for 2027 plans. (818) 472-5484

    (818) 472-5484
    English·Español·עברית
    Goulson Insurance Services

    Los Angeles, California

    Lara Goulson: Los Angeles Medicare Plans and Help, at No Cost to You

    Lara Goulson is a licensed independent insurance agent serving all of Los Angeles from offices in Century City and Valley Village. She compares Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans across many carriers, checks your doctors and your prescriptions before you enroll, and explains the tradeoffs in plain language. Her help is free to you, because licensed agents are paid by the insurance company you choose, and your premium is the same either way. She works with clients in English, Spanish, and Hebrew, in person across Los Angeles County or by phone and video. To start, call (818) 472-5484 and you will reach the actual agent rather than a call center.

    (818) 472-5484Free, no obligation, and you speak with the licensed agent directly.

    Licensed in 11 states · 5.0 rated on Google · No cost to work with you

    Lara Goulson, Licensed Insurance Agent, CA License #0E69969

    Medicare Advantage Plans in Los Angeles

    A Medicare Advantage plan, also called Part C, is private coverage that replaces how you receive your Original Medicare benefits. You stay in Medicare and keep paying your Part B premium, but the plan becomes the card you show, and it sets the network, referral, and prior authorization rules, your copays, and an annual cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered medical services. Most Los Angeles plans include drug coverage, and many add dental, vision, or hearing benefits. Choose by network first. Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, Providence, Keck Medicine of USC, and Kaiser Permanente each contract with different plans and medical groups, and no single plan covers them all. Then compare how each plan prices your exact prescriptions, then the maximum out of pocket, and treat extra benefits as a tiebreaker. Lara Goulson, a licensed independent agent, checks your doctors and medications against plans from many carriers at no cost. We do not offer every plan available in your area; Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE lists them all.

    Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in Los Angeles

    A Medicare Supplement, commonly called a Medigap policy, pays the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays that Original Medicare leaves to you. You keep your Medicare card, see any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare, and never need referrals or network approval. Plans are standardized by letter, so Plan G from one carrier has the same benefits as Plan G from another; only the premium, the carrier's rate increase history, and underwriting differ. Plan G is the most widely purchased option for people newly eligible today, High Deductible Plan G trades a higher annual deductible for a much lower premium, and Plan N lowers the premium in exchange for small copays and possible Part B excess charges. Medigap does not include drug coverage, so most people pair it with a standalone Part D plan. California's birthday rule also lets you switch to equal or lesser benefits each year, in a window starting on your birthday, with no health questions. Lara quotes the same letter plan across many carriers at no cost.

    Compare Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement

    Plan G, High Deductible Plan G, or Plan N: the Medigap choice in California

    Most Los Angeles Supplement shoppers land on one of three standardized plans. Plan G covers everything Medicare leaves except the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026, and carries the highest premium of the three. High Deductible Plan G has the same coverage after you meet a larger annual deductible, in exchange for a much lower monthly premium, a strong fit for people who want catastrophic protection and low fixed costs. Plan N trims the premium by adding small copays for office and emergency visits and by not covering Part B excess charges. California adds a lever the other states mostly lack: the birthday rule, which lets you switch each year around your birthday to a Supplement of equal or lesser benefit with no health questions. That makes the choice less permanent than it looks, and it is exactly the kind of switch we review with clients at no cost.

    Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans

    Part D is Medicare prescription drug coverage. You get it either built into a Medicare Advantage plan or as a standalone plan paired with Original Medicare and a Medigap policy. Every Part D plan publishes a formulary that sorts covered drugs into tiers, and the same medication can cost a few dollars on one plan and far more on another, or face prior authorization, quantity limits, or step therapy on only one of them. Using a preferred pharmacy instead of a standard one changes the price again. Plans rewrite their formularies, tiers, and pharmacy contracts every January, so the plan that was cheapest for you two years ago may now be the most expensive one at your address. Federal law caps what you pay out of pocket each year for covered Part D drugs; the exact figure is set by the government, and we confirm the current number during your appointment. We re run every client's medication list, with exact drug names and doses, each fall at no cost.

    Have your prescription list handy and call (818) 472-5484 for a free drug plan comparison.

    Call (818) 472-5484Schedule a Consultation

    Licensed in 11 states · 5.0 rated on Google · No cost to work with you

    Is Medicare help free if you use a broker in Los Angeles?

    Yes. Medicare help costs you nothing when you use a broker, in Los Angeles or anywhere else. Agent and broker describe the same licensed professional; broker usually emphasizes independence, meaning the person represents multiple insurance companies rather than working for one. Brokers are paid by the carriers whose plans they offer, and your premium is exactly the same whether you enroll through a broker, on a carrier website, or through 1-800-MEDICARE. The difference is what you get: a broker compares plans across companies, checks your doctors and prescriptions against each network and drug list, and answers the phone next year when something changes. Lara Goulson is an independent broker licensed in California, so her advice is not tied to any single company's products. We do not offer every plan available in your area; contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for all options.

    Medicare Help in Los Angeles From an Independent Insurance Agency

    Goulson Insurance Services Inc. is a licensed independent insurance agency based in Los Angeles, CA agency license 6020069. As an agency, we bring licensed agents and brokers together under one roof, so you get multi carrier comparisons with the personal service of a local team. Lara Goulson, CA license 0E69969, is licensed in 11 states, and our trilingual team helps Los Angeles residents compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans side by side. Because we are independent, no single carrier decides what we recommend. Working with an agency also means continuity: the people who help you enroll are the same people you can call at renewal, during the Annual Enrollment Period, or when a bill looks wrong. Our guidance is free, and our job is finished only when you are in a plan that fits your doctors, prescriptions, and budget.

    Two local offices, one family agency

    Goulson Insurance serves Los Angeles from two offices. Lara Goulson, CA License 0E69969, leads the Century City office at 1880 Century Park E, reachable at (818) 472-5484, where the agency has earned 135 Google reviews. Jordan Goulson, CA License 4283597, is the contact for the Valley Village office on Magnolia Boulevard, reachable at (818) 731-5417, serving the whole San Fernando Valley. Lara works by phone, by video, or in person across the county, in English, Spanish, and Hebrew, so wherever you are in Los Angeles, local help is one call away.

    Is there help paying for Part D prescription drugs?

    Yes. Medicare's Extra Help program lowers Part D costs for people with limited income and resources. In 2027, those who qualify can have a $0 premium and $0 deductible on their drug plan, with copays up to $5.80 for generics and $14.40 for brand name drugs. Social Security estimates the benefit is worth about $6,200 per year. On top of that, every Part D plan in 2027 caps out of pocket spending on covered drugs at $2,400. Many people in Los Angeles qualify and never find out, especially those who already have some level of Medi-Cal. Lara checks whether you meet the requirements, helps with the Social Security application, and confirms your plan covers your prescriptions at your neighborhood pharmacy, at no cost.

    Your Medicare Timeline in Los Angeles

    Almost every Medicare mistake is a timing mistake. Here is how the four most common situations work, and where to read more about each one.

    Turning 65 in Los Angeles

    Your Initial Enrollment Period is seven months long: the three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the three months after. Enrolling in the first three months usually means coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month, and waiting until after your birthday delays your start date. This is also the one moment when Medicare Supplement carriers must accept you regardless of your health, because your Medigap open enrollment period begins when your Part B starts. That guarantee does not come back later in most cases, so it deserves a real decision rather than a default one.

    Turning 65 in Los Angeles

    Working Past 65 in Los Angeles

    If you are still working at 65 and covered by an employer group health plan, you may be able to delay Part B without penalty, but the rules depend on how many employees the company has. Below the size threshold, Medicare becomes the primary payer and delaying Part B can leave you with claims nobody pays. COBRA, retiree coverage, and Marketplace plans do not count as active employer coverage for this purpose. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in Medicare, and it is entirely avoidable with one conversation before your birthday.

    Working Past 65

    Retiring After 65

    When your active employer coverage ends after 65, you get a Special Enrollment Period to take Part B without a late penalty, generally lasting eight months from the end of that employment or coverage. Part D has its own shorter window, typically about two months, which trips people up because they focus on Part B and let the drug coverage deadline pass. Bring your retirement date and your last day of coverage, and we will build a calendar so nothing lapses and nothing overlaps unnecessarily.

    Moving To or Within Los Angeles

    Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are sold by service area. If you move out of your plan's service area, you get a Special Enrollment Period to choose a new plan, generally two full months after the month you move, or starting the month before your move if you notify the plan in advance. Moving within Los Angeles County can matter too, because plan availability and medical group assignments vary by ZIP code. If you are moving to or from another state, Lara is licensed in eleven states and can usually stay your agent.

    Moving to another state with Medicare

    Can I have Medicare and Medi-Cal at the same time?

    Yes. Many people in Los Angeles qualify for Medicare and Medi-Cal at once, which is called dual eligibility. With both, Medicare pays first and Medi-Cal helps with costs Medicare does not cover. Los Angeles County also has plans built exactly for this situation, called D-SNP plans, which can add benefits like dental, vision, and rides to medical appointments. The most common mistake we see is people paying more than they need to because nobody told them they have this double coverage, or sitting in a plan that does not coordinate the two benefits well. Lara reviews your situation at no cost, checks whether you qualify, and compares the D-SNP plans available in your ZIP code. Call (818) 472-5484 and the conversation can happen in English, Spanish, or Hebrew from the first word.

    Do I qualify for Medicare as a permanent resident who never worked in the US?

    You may. If you are a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for at least 5 continuous years, you can enroll in Medicare at 65 even without 40 work credits. The difference is cost. With 40 credits, Part A has no monthly premium. Without them, Part A can be purchased with a premium, and Part B carries a premium for everyone. We hear this question constantly from families across the Valley where many people spent part of their working lives in another country. Every case is different. Sometimes a spouse's work credits count, and sometimes enrolling on a specific date avoids permanent penalties. Lara walks through your history with you at no cost and lays out your real options before you make any decision.

    Medicare Annual Enrollment: October 15 to December 7, 2026

    Medicare Annual Enrollment, also called AEP, runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes you make during that window take effect on January 1, 2027.

    During Annual Enrollment you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, and you can join, switch, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan. Los Angeles residents get an avalanche of mail and television advertising during these weeks, most of it designed to create urgency rather than clarity. Our approach is simple. If your current plan still covers your doctors and your drugs at a competitive cost, we tell you to keep it and we do not touch anything. If your plan changed its network, its formulary, or its copays for the coming year, we show you exactly what changed and what your alternatives look like. Every year some clients switch and many do not, and both outcomes are fine. If you miss the December 7 deadline, your options narrow considerably. Medicare Advantage enrollees have a separate window from January 1 to March 31 to change to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare, but that window does not help someone on Original Medicare who wants to pick up drug coverage. Special Enrollment Periods exist for specific life events such as moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer coverage, or qualifying for Extra Help, and we will tell you honestly whether you qualify.

    Read the full Annual Enrollment guide for 2027

    Book your annual review before December 7. Call (818) 472-5484.

    Call (818) 472-5484Schedule a Consultation

    Licensed in 11 states · 5.0 rated on Google · No cost to work with you

    Neighborhoods We Serve

    Goulson Insurance has offices in Century City and Valley Village, so you can meet in person at either office, and service covers all of Los Angeles County by phone and video.

    Spanish language service covers the whole county, including East Los Angeles, Huntington Park, Van Nuys, and Panorama City, and Hebrew speakers get the same full service. Appointments happen by phone, by video, or in person, and every plan gets explained in the language you think in.

    We also work with clients in Van Nuys, Glendale, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Pico-Robertson, Culver City, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach, and throughout Los Angeles County.

    Why Work With an Independent Agent Instead of Calling a Carrier

    An independent insurance agent is appointed with many carriers, so the appointment starts with your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget instead of one company's products. A carrier's phone line can only sell that carrier's plans, and a national hotline rarely connects you to the same person twice. Working with us costs you nothing: carriers pay agent compensation, which is regulated by Medicare, and your premium is identical whether you enroll through us, directly with the carrier, or on Medicare.gov. Service continues after enrollment. When a card does not arrive, a pharmacy rejects a prescription in January, or a prior authorization stalls, clients call Lara directly at (818) 472-5484 and reach the licensed agent who set up the plan. Lara also works with clients in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. We do not offer every plan available in your area; Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE lists every option for your ZIP code, and California's Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program offers free unbiased counseling as well.

    How We WorkHebrew speaking Medicare helpSpanish speaking Medicare help

    How to Get Started

    Start with a phone call. Tell us your birthday, your ZIP code, the doctors you want to keep, and the prescriptions you take. That is enough information for a first conversation, and it usually takes less than half an hour. From there we build a written comparison of the plans available at your address, review it with you, and answer questions for as long as it takes. If you decide to enroll, we handle the application with you. If you decide to keep what you have, that is a perfectly good outcome and costs you nothing. There is no fee, no obligation, and no pressure at any point.

    Call (818) 472-5484 to speak with Lara Goulson, or send a message and she will call you back.

    Call (818) 472-5484Schedule a Consultation

    Licensed in 11 states · 5.0 rated on Google · No cost to work with you

    What Los Angeles clients say

    Lara is warm, unassuming and very personable. She will take her time with you whether in person, text, email or speaking over the phone. No question is too small nor too big. She is there for you and knows her medicare. Please take a deep breath and please give her a chance. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with her, her help or her compassion. She makes medicare easy in all ways❤️
    Michele W.
    Lara is very thorough asking questions and determining what coverage you need. She is personable, professional and knowledgeable. She helped me through all of the confusion of switching to Medicare and was able to get me set up with great coverage. I highly recommend Lara for your insurance needs!
    Eric S.
    I cannot recommend Lara highly enough. She's very knowledgeable and incredibly easy to work with. She set my mind at ease from the moment I first spoke with her and her experience working with Medicare and insurance in general has been invaluable to me. I even said to her that I wish I had a Lara to turn to in other areas of my life because she made this process so much easier. She is such a positive and helpful person!
    Mine S.
    Very knowledgeable and helpful in a very confusing and overwhelming time. Described all available options and worked with me to find the best fit to start Medicare. Great follow up. Very happy working with Lara
    Greg M.
    Lara was great to work with! She was very patient with me as I was trying to learn more about different plans. I would highly recommend talking to Lara for health insurance plan options!
    Ken B.
    Lara does all the legwork so you know what changes are in store for the upcoming year. And its not easy to keep track of. My first year of Medicare, I was nervous about the process and Lara called me back from her vacation (on a catamaran‼️) to walk me through it. I've sent friends and family to Lara and we've been so pleased thru the years. You won't find anyone better. 🤩
    Don L.

    Los Angeles Medicare Questions

    Nothing. A licensed insurance agent costs you nothing in Los Angeles, because insurance carriers pay agent compensation directly and Medicare regulates how much they can pay. Your premium is exactly the same whether you enroll through an agent, directly with the insurance company, or on your own at Medicare.gov. That applies to every part of the service: comparing Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Part D plans, checking that your doctors and prescriptions are covered, handling the enrollment paperwork, and helping you all year when a card, claim, or pharmacy problem comes up. There is no consultation fee, no enrollment fee, and no ongoing charge, and using an agent never raises your premium. Lara Goulson is a licensed independent agent serving all of Los Angeles, and you can reach her at (818) 472-5484 for a free comparison.

    Start with your doctors and your travel habits. Medicare Advantage uses networks and usually costs less month to month, with copays as you use care and an annual out of pocket cap. A Medicare Supplement lets you see any provider nationwide who accepts Medicare and makes costs highly predictable, but you pay a monthly premium plus a separate Part D plan. In Los Angeles, the deciding factor is often whether the plan includes your specific medical group and hospital.

    Medicare Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and any change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. During this window you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, and you can join, switch, or drop a Part D prescription drug plan. Medicare Advantage enrollees also get a separate window from January 1 to March 31, when they can switch to another Advantage plan one time or return to Original Medicare. If you do nothing, your current plan generally renews automatically, but plans change their premiums, drug formularies, and provider networks every January, so read the Annual Notice of Change your plan mails in the fall before you decide. A plan review with a licensed agent each fall costs nothing. Call (818) 472-5484 to schedule yours before December 7.

    Sometimes. It depends entirely on the specific plan and the medical group that manages your care, not just the insurance company name on the card. Some Los Angeles Medicare Advantage plans contract with medical groups affiliated with UCLA Health or Cedars-Sinai and some do not, and those contracts can change from year to year. In Los Angeles the assigned medical group often controls referrals to specialists, so two plans from the same carrier can give you very different access. Before you enroll, we verify each of your doctors, plan by plan, along with the hospital you would want in an emergency, so you find out before you sign rather than at your next appointment. If keeping unrestricted access to UCLA or Cedars-Sinai matters most to you, a Medicare Supplement removes the network question entirely, because it works with any doctor in the United States who accepts Medicare.

    California's birthday rule lets anyone who already has a Medicare Supplement policy switch to another Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits each year, during a window that begins on their birthday, without medical underwriting and without answering health questions. In practice it means you are never locked into your current Medigap carrier. If you bought Plan G years ago and the premium has climbed, you can move to another carrier's Plan G once a year, and the new carrier cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health. The rule applies only during the annual window tied to your birthday, so timing matters, and it covers moves to equal or lesser benefits, not upgrades to richer coverage. We review the birthday rule with every Supplement client annually and shop the same letter plan across many carriers at no cost. Call (818) 472-5484 before your birthday window opens.

    Yes. Lara Goulson works with clients in Spanish, including full plan comparisons and enrollment paperwork, at no additional cost. See our Spanish speaking Medicare help page for details.

    Yes. Lara speaks Hebrew and regularly serves Hebrew speaking families in Los Angeles, including parents who prefer to handle the entire appointment in Hebrew. There is no extra charge for language support.

    All of them. Goulson Insurance has offices in Century City and Valley Village, and you can meet in person at either one. The Valley Village office is close to North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Van Nuys, and Burbank, and the Century City office is close to Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles. Phone and video appointments work anywhere in Los Angeles County, including Glendale.

    Yes. Goulson Insurance has offices in Century City and Valley Village for in person meetings, and phone and video appointments work anywhere in Los Angeles County, so it does not matter whether you live in East LA, Huntington Park, Van Nuys, or Panorama City. Help is free and the entire conversation can be in Spanish. Call (818) 472-5484.

    You apply through Social Security, online at ssa.gov, by phone, or at a local office. If you already receive Social Security benefits, enrollment in Parts A and B is usually automatic when you turn 65. Lara walks you through the process at no cost and then helps you compare the additional coverage that fits.

    In everyday use, nothing that matters to you. Both are licensed professionals who help you compare and enroll in Medicare plans at no cost. Technically, broker often signals independence: representing several insurance companies instead of one. Lara Goulson is independent, so whichever word you searched for, you found the right kind: advice across multiple carriers, never a sales quota for one.

    Request your free Los Angeles Medicare review

    Send a message and Lara will call you back, usually the same business day.

    By submitting this form, you agree that a licensed insurance agent may contact you by phone, email, or text message regarding your insurance options.

    Licensed in 11 states · 5.0 rated on Google · No cost to work with you

    We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 18 organizations which offer 233 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States Government or the federal Medicare program. This website is a solicitation for insurance. Goulson Insurance Services Inc., CA Business Entity License #6020069. Lara Goulson, CA License #0E69969, NPN 8407942.

    We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 18 organizations which offer 233 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. Goulson Insurance Services is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

    More guides
    Call (818) 472-5484Get a Quote