When should I enroll in Medicare?

Your Initial Enrollment Period generally begins 3 months before you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and continues for 3 months after your birthday month. If you are still working and covered by qualifying group health coverage based on current employment, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Your enrollment timing depends on your circumstances.

What's the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement?

Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative way to receive Medicare benefits through a private Medicare-approved plan and may include prescription drug coverage and additional benefits. Medicare Supplement insurance, also called Medigap, works with Original Medicare to help pay certain Medicare cost-sharing expenses. The two types of coverage work differently and may fit different healthcare and financial needs.

Do I have to pay for Kidwell Insurance Services?

There is no direct fee to clients for our insurance guidance and enrollment assistance. Insurance carriers generally compensate licensed agents when a client enrolls in a plan they represent. Carrier compensation does not increase the plan's premium.

Can I switch Medicare plans?

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to change Medicare coverage during certain enrollment periods. The Medicare Annual Election Period generally runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. Medicare Advantage enrollees may also have certain opportunities to make changes during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31. Other Special Enrollment Periods may apply.

What if my doctors are not in the plan's network?

Before enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, it is important to verify that your doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers participate in the specific plan's network. Network rules vary by plan. Medicare Supplement insurance works with Original Medicare, which generally allows you to see any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, subject to Medicare's rules.

Does St. Louise Regional Hospital accept Medicare Advantage plans, and what about my San Jose doctor?

St. Louise Regional Hospital participates with certain Medicare Advantage plans, but Medicare Advantage provider and hospital participation varies by plan. If you see doctors or specialists in San Jose, those providers also need to be checked against the specific plan's network. It is important to verify both your local providers and your San Jose providers before enrolling.

Is there a Kaiser hospital near Morgan Hill, or just the Gilroy medical office?

Kaiser Permanente's Gilroy location is a medical office rather than a hospital. It provides outpatient services, and Kaiser lists Senior Advantage among the coverage options accepted at the facility. Hospital services may be provided at another Kaiser facility depending on your care needs and plan.

I'm moving to Morgan Hill for retirement — do I need to switch my current Medicare plan?

It depends on your current Medicare coverage and whether your plan serves your new address. Medicare Advantage plans generally have defined service areas, so moving can affect your plan eligibility and may give you a Special Enrollment Period. If you move, you should review your options and confirm that your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions remain covered.

What's the difference between HICAP and working with an agent like Kidwell?

HICAP, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, provides free, unbiased Medicare counseling. A licensed insurance agency such as Kidwell can explain specific insurance products and help eligible clients compare and enroll in plans the agency represents. You can use both resources when making your Medicare decisions.

Medicare Advantage & Supplement Plans in Morgan Hill, CA

We're not a call center reading from a script. Kidwell Insurance is based right here in Morgan Hill, and we help South County residents compare Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement options based on the doctors, hospitals, specialists, and healthcare systems they actually use.

That might mean receiving care close to home in Morgan Hill or Gilroy, seeing specialists in San Jose, or using more than one healthcare system. We help you compare your options based on your healthcare needs, budget, and priorities.

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A woman in blue hospital scrubs holding a stethoscope in a heart shape reflecting on Morgan Hill medicare insurance options and the hospital networks in the area.

Healthcare in Morgan Hill and South Santa Clara County

Morgan Hill and Gilroy have important healthcare resources close to home, while many South County residents also travel into San Jose for specialists, medical groups, and larger healthcare systems.

A Medicare plan should take both into account if you regularly receive care in more than one location.

Close to Home

St. Louise Regional Hospital — Gilroy

St. Louise Regional Hospital is a 93-bed community hospital in Gilroy and part of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare. It provides inpatient and outpatient care and is a Designated Primary Stroke Center.

Valley Health Center Morgan Hill

Valley Health Center Morgan Hill provides urgent care, specialty care, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, and other services for South County residents. The facility was formerly known as De Paul Health Center.

Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices

Kaiser Permanente's Gilroy location is a medical office rather than a hospital. It provides outpatient services, pharmacy, laboratory services, and other medical departments, and Kaiser lists Senior Advantage among the plans accepted at the facility.

Healthcare Options in San Jose

Many Morgan Hill and Gilroy residents also travel into San Jose for specialists, hospitals, and other healthcare services, including:

Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center
Good Samaritan Hospital
Regional Medical Center of San Jose
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Stanford Health Care
Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF)

Whether a particular doctor, hospital, or medical group participates depends on the Medicare plan. If keeping specific providers is important to you, we can help you check the network for the plans you're considering.

We serve Medicare beneficiaries throughout Morgan Hill as well as residents throughout South Santa Clara County.

Free Medicare Counseling in Morgan Hill

Sourcewise operates its South County office in Morgan Hill and provides Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) services. HICAP is a separate, independent resource that offers free Medicare counseling.

We are happy to point clients toward HICAP when an independent Medicare counseling resource would be helpful.

Local Care and San Jose's Network — Plan for Both

South County residents don't necessarily receive all of their healthcare in one place. You may use St. Louise Regional Hospital or Kaiser Permanente's Gilroy medical offices for care closer to home while also seeing a specialist or receiving hospital care in San Jose. That makes your provider network an important part of comparing Medicare options.

Medicare Advantage Plans are offered by private insurance companies, and many use provider networks. If you're considering Medicare Advantage, it's important to check more than one local provider. A plan that includes St. Louise Regional Hospital may not necessarily include every doctor, hospital, or specialist you use in San Jose.

HMO plans generally require you to use doctors and hospitals in the plan's network for covered non-emergency care. PPO plans generally provide more flexibility to receive covered care outside the network, usually at a higher cost. The exact rules depend on the individual plan.

If you regularly use healthcare providers in both South County and San Jose, we can help you look at the network as a whole rather than focusing on just one hospital.

Medicare Supplement Insurance, also called Medigap, works with Original Medicare. With Original Medicare, you can generally see any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare. A Medigap policy can help pay certain costs that Original Medicare doesn't fully cover.

For someone who receives care in Morgan Hill or Gilroy but also sees specialists in San Jose, the provider flexibility available through Original Medicare may be an important consideration. The right choice depends on your individual circumstances, including your doctors, healthcare needs, prescription coverage, budget, travel habits, and preferences.

Two ways people arrive at Medicare

Turning 65 in Morgan Hill

If you're approaching 65, it's a good idea to understand your Medicare enrollment timeline before your birthday month.

For most people, the Initial Enrollment Period lasts seven months. It begins three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and ends three months after your birthday month.

If you don't enroll when first eligible and don't qualify for another enrollment period, you may have to wait for another opportunity to enroll and could face a late enrollment penalty. Your situation can be different if you have qualifying employer coverage.

Many people turning 65 in Morgan Hill or Gilroy already receive care in both South County and San Jose. We can help you understand how those providers fit into the Medicare options available to you.

See our full Turning 65 guide →

Retiring Later or Losing Employer Coverage?

If you delayed Medicare Part B because you or your spouse continued working and you had qualifying employer or union group health coverage based on that current employment, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

For people who qualify, the Part B Special Enrollment Period generally lasts up to eight months after the employment ends or the group health coverage ends, whichever happens first. Your exact circumstances determine whether you qualify and when your enrollment period begins.

If you have COBRA coverage, don't assume that the end of COBRA creates a new Medicare Part B Special Enrollment Period. Medicare's rules tie this SEP to the end of employment or qualifying group health coverage, not the later end of COBRA.

Whether you've spent your career working in South County, moved to Morgan Hill after retiring elsewhere, or are simply working past 65, the important thing is understanding your Medicare timeline before your current coverage ends.

We can help you understand your enrollment timeline and then review Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement options based on the doctors and healthcare systems you use.

How It Works

Tell us about your situation

We'll talk about your current coverage, doctors, prescriptions, healthcare priorities, and budget.

We compare your real options.

We can review Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement options and help you check the providers and healthcare systems that matter to you — whether that's St. Louise Regional Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, or a specialist in San Jose.

You choose, we handle the paperwork.

If you decide to enroll, we can help with the application and enrollment process.

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Download Your Medicare Checklist

Get a simple guide to:

Medicare enrollment deadlines
Coverage options
Important documents
Questions to ask
Next steps before enrolling

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Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and schedule an appointment.

St. Louise Regional Hospital participates with certain Medicare Advantage plans, but participation varies by plan. A plan that includes St. Louise doesn't necessarily include every doctor, hospital, or specialist you use in San Jose. We can help you check the specific providers that matter to you before you enroll.
Kaiser Permanente's Gilroy location is a medical office, not a hospital. The Gilroy Medical Offices provide outpatient services, including medical departments, laboratory services, pharmacy, and other care. Kaiser lists Senior Advantage among the plans accepted at the Gilroy facility.
For hospital care, Kaiser members may use Kaiser Permanente hospitals elsewhere in the region depending on their plan and care needs.
Not necessarily, but it depends on the type of Medicare coverage you have. Medicare Advantage plans have specific service areas, so moving to a different county can affect whether you can keep your plan.
If you're moving to Morgan Hill, we can help you determine whether your current plan remains available in your new location and review your options if a change is necessary.
Sourcewise's Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) provides free, independent Medicare counseling. HICAP counselors do not sell insurance plans.
Kidwell Insurance is a licensed insurance agency that can explain specific insurance products and, if you choose a plan we represent, assist with the enrollment process. We can also point you toward HICAP when an independent counseling resource would be useful.
If you qualify for the employer-coverage Special Enrollment Period, you generally have up to eight months after you stop working or lose qualifying group health coverage, whichever happens first, to enroll in Part B without the standard late enrollment penalty. Your exact eligibility and deadline depend on your circumstances.
If you have COBRA, don't wait for COBRA to end before determining your Medicare deadline. The end of COBRA does not create a new Part B Special Enrollment Period.

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Local Medicare Insurance Support

Medicare Insurance for Morgan Hill and South Santa Clara County

Kidwell Insurance Agency is based in Morgan Hill and helps Medicare beneficiaries throughout South Santa Clara County understand their Medicare options.

Whether you're turning 65, retiring after 65, moving to Morgan Hill, reviewing your current Medicare coverage, or considering a different plan during an eligible enrollment period, we can help you compare your options based on the doctors, hospitals, and healthcare systems that matter to you.

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Two older adults, turning 65, hike through tall grass under a cloudy sky, smiling and using trekking poles.