Last reviewed September 21, 2026.
What is specific to Santa Monica
Coastal housing is expensive, and many households split care between two hospital brands a few miles apart. Summer travel and a car-light routine also change whether a narrow local network is workable.
- DoctorYour doctor
- Medical groupThe medical group
- HospitalThe hospital
The plan pays the benefit. On many California Medicare Advantage plans, the medical group handles the referral from the doctor to the hospital or specialist.
Los Angeles County resources
The Santa Monica Medicare Care Map
Use this map to explore nearby healthcare providers. Then make a list of your doctors, preferred hospitals, medical groups, and prescriptions to help evaluate your Medicare coverage.
City Hospital Health system Medical group ACCESS Senior help
Your focus
Santa Monica
This page is about Medicare decisions in Santa Monica. Nearby names only help if your coverage pays those doctors and hospitals.
Medicare in Santa MonicaAround Santa Monica
Communities
Cities drawn on this map, then the rest of Central and West Los Angeles.
- Santa MonicaHere
- Culver City
- Beverly Hills
- West Hollywood
- Los Angeles
- Inglewood
Hospitals and health systems
A hospital is one building. A health system is the name that runs more than one. The system pin sits on one of those buildings.
Health systems
Hospitals
Extra help with Original Medicare
Some people with Original Medicare can get extra help lining up their care. This is not a Medicare Advantage network. A pin does not mean your doctor is in it.
Medicare ACCESS
ACCESS started July 5, 2026. Approved groups can help with some long-term health problems, often from home. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use ACCESS. Medicare named these California groups and did not give a street address:
- Aledade Care Solutions of California P.C.
- Cadence Health CA P.C.
- Headspace Medical Group CA P.A.
- Pair Team Medical Group of CA P.C.
Find an ACCESS organization · What is ACCESS
LEAD
LEAD is a newer program for groups of doctors who coordinate care for people with Original Medicare. A practice period runs from September 15 through December 31, 2026. The program starts January 1, 2027. On September 21, 2026, Medicare listed 79 groups getting ready. That is not the full 2027 list, and it does not give Los Angeles street addresses.
- CHS LEAD ACO CA, LLCMedicare named this group on September 21, 2026. It did not publish a Los Angeles office.
- United Physicians Association, Inc.Medicare named this group on that list. Its office is in Garden Grove, which is not in Los Angeles County.
Names you may hear in Santa Monica
These names have been seen in this area. A name here does not mean your doctor is in the group, or that a Medicare Advantage plan pays them. Open a name for the referral fact, then ask the office about your plan.
Medical groups and IPAs
- Cedars-Sinai Medical GroupMedical group · West · central Los AngelesFor a referral, you usually ask the Medicare Advantage plan, not Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.
- Cedars-Sinai Health AssociatesPhysician network · West · central Los AngelesFor a referral, you usually ask the Medicare Advantage plan. Do not assume these independent doctors follow the same rules as Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.
- Providence Medical AssociatesMedical group · South Bay · West Los AngelesFor a referral, you usually ask the Medicare Advantage plan. Confirm that this plan’s contract includes these Providence doctors.
- UCLA Medical GroupMedical group · West Los Angeles · South Bay · San Fernando ValleyThe Medicare Advantage plan usually pays the bill. The plan may still ask UCLA Medical Group to confirm that the doctor is approved to see you.
Community health centers
Broader names
- HealthCare Partners Medical Group (Optum)Medical group · Los Angeles CountyOn many HMO plans, this group handles the referral and the approval before a visit. If the card says Optum, use the name the office confirms.
- Optum Care Network–Los AngelesMedical group · Los Angeles CountyOn many countywide Los Angeles HMO plans, this Optum group handles the referral, the approval before a visit, and much of the paperwork. It is a different list from the San Gabriel Valley Optum group.
Checked September 21, 2026.
Where to ask
These offices explain Medicare. They do not enroll you in a plan.
Four-part verification
Check these four before you compare extra benefits. Ask the office, then confirm the same names on Medicare. gov and with the plan.
- The individual physician, not only the practice name.
- The medical group or IPA that doctor uses for that plan. An IPA is a physician organization that, on many HMO plans, lines up doctors and handles referrals.
- The hospital you want, and whether a referral is required to use it.
- The plan’s contract number, not only the insurance company name. A network is the list of doctors and hospitals that plan pays.
A Santa Monica Medicare example
A resident uses a UCLA PCP and a Providence specialist. The review is whether a given structure supports both relationships—or whether one must be ranked. My Medicare Checkup, then schedule a conversation if you want help comparing.
Why work with a Medicare agent who understands Santa Monica?
Alan starts with the doctors and hospitals you already use in Santa Monica, then explains how Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage treat them differently. You decide what happens next.
Two systems, many contracts
UCLA Health and Providence are different organizations. Physician groups inside those systems can contract separately from the hospital. Coverage that fits depends on the person’s doctors, prescriptions, budget, travel, and preferences.
Travel from a coastal ZIP
Many Santa Monica residents spend time outside the area. Emergency rules differ from routine out-of-area visits. See [Does Medicare cover you outside the United States? ](/articles/medicare-coverage-outside-united-states) for foreign travel, and map domestic travel separately.
Senior and public resources
Resource links are provided for convenience. Medisure Agency is not affiliated with the listed agencies.
- Wise & Healthy Aging programs
- Big Blue Bus reduced-fare and Santa Monica Dial-A-Ride
- HICAP 1-800-434-0222 · County Aging 800-510-2020 · Medicare.gov · TTY 711
Questions we hear in Santa Monica
Choose a question. The answer stays until you press Back or Next.
Can I keep both a UCLA physician and a Providence physician on the same Medicare arrangement?
Only if each named person participates—or if you use Original Medicare plus a Supplement with doctors who accept Medicare. Verify both offices.
Does PPO status guarantee UCLA Santa Monica access?
No. Confirm the exact physician, location, and plan. Out-of-network PPO care can cost more.
How does Medicare work during a long coastal or out-of-state stay?
Emergencies have protections. Routine visits may not. Map the months you are away before you compare extras.
Where can I get counseling that is not a plan sale?
California HICAP at 1-800-434-0222 is independent Medicare counseling. Medicare. gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 711) list every product in your ZIP.
Talk with Alan
A phone or Zoom conversation about the doctors and hospitals you want to keep in Santa Monica.
Call (626) 214-5774