Last reviewed September 21, 2026.
Your Doctors May Be in Different Cities
You might see your regular doctor in Los Angeles, visit a specialist in a neighboring city, and go to a hospital somewhere else. Before choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, check whether the specific doctors and hospitals you want to use are included.
A hospital's name or an insurance company's name alone is not enough to confirm coverage. The answer depends on your exact plan and the doctor or hospital.
A Westside doctor, a downtown hospital, and a Valley specialist can be three different lists. Ask whether one plan covers all three, and what a visit to each one costs.
Nearby city guides: Glendale, Burbank, Culver City, West Hollywood.
What Is a Medical Group, and Why Does It Matter?
Some Medicare Advantage plans organize care through a medical group or doctor network. A medical group is a set of doctors who work together. That group may help arrange specialist visits and decide which hospital you use.
Ask your doctor's office which medical group your doctor belongs to and whether the group works with the exact plan you are considering. If you need a specialist, ask whether you need a referral or approval first.
A doctor who accepts Medicare does not necessarily accept every Medicare Advantage plan. Original Medicare does not use these medical-group lists the same way. A Medicare Advantage PPO may pay part of a visit to a doctor outside the list, but that does not mean every doctor is covered or that the visit will be inexpensive.
- Independent medical groups and medical groups coordinate many Los Angeles doctors.
Medical groups
Los Angeles is too large for one medical-group list. Use medical groups in a ZIP for the medical groups and IPAs near you, or open medical groups and IPAs. A medical group on that list is not a Medicare Advantage network.
- DoctorYour doctor
- Medical groupThe medical group
- HospitalThe hospital
With some Medicare Advantage plans, your medical group helps arrange referrals to specialists and hospitals. The process depends on your plan. Ask your doctor's office who handles referrals and whether you need approval before seeing a specialist. Your Medicare plan and your medical group has the longer explanation.
Check the Hospital You Want to Use
Think about where you would want to go for a planned procedure, specialist treatment, or hospital stay. Check that hospital against your plan, along with the doctors who would treat you there.
A hospital may belong to a larger health system, but that does not automatically mean every doctor or location in the system accepts your plan.
These are hospitals people in Los Angeles use. A name here is not a statement that any plan covers that hospital.
- UCLA HealthAcademic system used across the Westside and much of the city.
- Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterA major hospital and physician network. A system name is not a plan.
- Keck Medicine of USCUSC physicians and hospitals. Each doctor still has to be checked.
- Kaiser PermanenteAn integrated system. Care stays inside Kaiser, which is a different doctor and hospital list.
Look Beyond the Monthly Premium
A plan with a low monthly premium may still have costs when you visit a doctor, see a specialist, receive outpatient treatment, or stay in a hospital.
Before enrolling, compare the monthly premium, copayments, deductibles, prescription costs, and the maximum you could pay for covered medical services in a year. A copayment is what you pay at the visit. A deductible is what you pay before the plan starts sharing the cost. Also check whether your regular prescriptions are covered.
The right comparison depends on how you use healthcare—not just on which plan advertises the lowest premium.
Four Questions to Ask Before Changing Plans
Write down the answers and confirm important details with the insurance company. If you want help understanding your options, talk with Alan.
- Does my doctor accept this exact plan at the office I visit?
- Which medical group does my doctor belong to, and will I need referrals?
- Can I use my preferred hospital and specialists?
- What will I pay for my regular visits, prescriptions, and other care?
An example in Los Angeles
This is an example of what to check. It does not mean any doctor or hospital accepts a particular plan.
Suppose Maria lives in Northeast Los Angeles. She likes her local primary-care doctor, sees a specialist at UCLA, and would prefer Cedars-Sinai if she ever needed certain types of specialized care.
Searching for a Medicare plan that simply “has UCLA and Cedars” doesn't fully answer her question. She needs to check whether she can keep her primary-care doctor, continue seeing her UCLA specialist, and how she would reach Cedars-Sinai if she needed it. She also needs to know whether referrals are required, what she would pay, and whether her prescriptions are covered.
Those questions are a better starting point than premiums or extra benefits alone. Talk with Alan if you want to line up the same facts for your own doctors.
Senior and public resources
These public programs can help with rides, meals, and Medicare counseling. Medisure Agency is not the city or the county.
- City of Los Angeles Department of Agingaging.lacity.gov
- ACCESS paratransit and LADOT transit information
- HICAP 1-800-434-0222 · County Aging 800-510-2020 · Medicare.gov · TTY 711
- Medicare, HICAP, and Social Security
- Rides in Los Angeles County
- Help paying Medicare costs
- Housing and utilities
PACE sites in Los Angeles
CalPACE’s January 2025 list names a PACE site in Los Angeles. A site in town does not mean your ZIP is in the service area, and it does not mean you qualify. PACE is for some people 55 or older who need a nursing-home level of care and can live safely at home. Joining it means you get Medicare services through that organization. Read what PACE is, then check the ZIP on Medicare.gov. A site can move.
- AltaMed PACE, 5425 EPomona Blvd., Los Angeles, 90022
- AltaMed PACE, 701 WCesar E. Chavez Ave., Suite 201, Los Angeles, 90012
- AltaMed PACE, 1776 ECentury Blvd., Los Angeles, 90002
- AltaMed PACE (listed as an alternative care site), 2100 W. 3rd St., Suite 101, Los Angeles, 90057
- Asian Heritage Healthcare PACE, 1818 Western Ave., Suite 100, Los Angeles, 90006
- Brandman Centers for Senior Care, 9800 WPico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90035
- myPlace Health PACE, 121 SMountain View Ave., Los Angeles, 90057
- InnovAge California PACE, 3680 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, 90018
Your healthcare resource map
The map shows hospitals and medical groups around Los Angeles. Add the doctor, hospital, and medical group you want to keep. A name here is not proof that a plan covers them.
City Hospital Health system Medical group ACCESS Senior help
Your focus
Los Angeles
This page is about Medicare decisions in Los Angeles. Nearby names only help if your coverage pays those doctors and hospitals.
Medicare in Los AngelesAround Los Angeles
Communities
Cities drawn on this map, then the rest of Central and West Los Angeles.
- Los AngelesHere
- West Hollywood
- Beverly Hills
- Culver City
- Santa Monica
- Burbank
Hospitals and health systems are not the same thing
A hospital is a specific facility where you receive care. A health system may operate several hospitals and medical facilities. Check the exact location you want to use because coverage at one location does not automatically mean coverage at every location in the system.
Health systems
Hospitals
Medical groups and doctor networks near Los Angeles
Los Angeles is too large for one list. Enter your ZIP on Find Doctor Groups Near Me to see groups observed in that ZIP. Take that list of medical groups to the front desk.
Where to ask
These offices explain Medicare. They do not enroll you in a plan.
Questions people ask in Los Angeles
How do I find a Medicare agent in Los Angeles?
Medisure Agency is based in Arcadia and works with people across Los Angeles County by phone or Zoom. You meet Alan Blackwell, a Licensed Medicare Insurance Agent — not a call center. Start My Medicare Checkup if you want a short educational conversation.
Can I keep my UCLA doctors when I enroll in Medicare?
It depends on the doctor, the location, and the coverage. Ask the UCLA office which plans they take this year, then check the same names on Medicare.gov. Original Medicare plus Medigap asks a different question: does the doctor accept Medicare?
Does Cedars-Sinai accept Medicare?
Many Cedars-Sinai doctors and the hospital work with Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage coverage depends on the exact plan. Ask the office for the exact plan name and location.
Can I use Keck Medicine of USC with Medicare?
Often yes under Original Medicare if the physician accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage depends on the plan, the physician, and the location. Confirm both the doctor and the facility.
What's the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage for Los Angeles doctors?
Original Medicare generally follows doctors who accept Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. Medicare Advantage uses the plan’s network, and in Los Angeles that can change by physician, medical group, hospital, and ZIP. The difference is which doctors you can see, whether you need a referral, and what you pay. See Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage?.
Can a Medicare PPO let me see any doctor in Los Angeles?
No. A PPO may let you go out of network at a higher cost. It does not mean every UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, or Keck physician participates, or that the cost will match covered by that plan care. See Medicare HMO vs PPO.
Do Medicare Advantage networks vary by ZIP code in Los Angeles?
Yes. The plans offered in your ZIP can differ from a ZIP across town, and the doctors in those plans can differ again. Your ZIP starts the list. Your doctors decide which plans are worth a closer look.
How can a local Medicare agent help me compare my options?
Alan starts with the doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, and travel you already use, then explains how Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D treat those facts differently. You decide what happens next.