Medicare 2026

Medicare help in Redlands: SHIP counselors and licensed agents

REDLANDS, Calif. — If you live in Redlands and Medicare has you feeling turned around, you are not alone. Between the mailers, the TV ads, and the phone calls, it can be hard to figure out who is actually on your side. The good news: there are trusted places right here in the Inland Empire where you can sit down with someone who is not trying to sell you anything.

Free, unbiased Medicare help is closer than you think

This guide walks through your local options — starting with California's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (called HICAP here) — and explains how licensed agents fit in when you are ready to compare plans.

HICAP: California's free counseling program

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. In California, it goes by HICAP — the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program. HICAP counselors are trained and certified to answer Medicare questions, and their help is free and unbiased. They do not sell insurance and do not earn commissions.

For Redlands residents, HICAP services are provided through the Inland Empire HICAP, which covers San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Counselors can help you:

• Understand the difference between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D.
• Compare drug plan costs using the Medicare Plan Finder.
• Sort out enrollment periods and late-enrollment penalties.
• Review a plan denial or appeal.
• Screen for programs that help pay Medicare costs, like Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program.

To reach HICAP, call the statewide number at 1-800-434-0222 or visit aging.ca.gov/HICAP. Appointments are usually available by phone, and in-person sessions are sometimes offered at senior centers and libraries around San Bernardino County.

Other trusted places in and near Redlands

A few more no-cost, local resources are worth knowing:

• Redlands Community Senior Center (Lugonia Avenue) — a good starting point for referrals to aging services and HICAP counselors.
• San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) — connects older adults and caregivers to benefits, in-home services, and Medicare counseling.
• Social Security Administration – San Bernardino field office — for questions about Medicare enrollment, Part B premiums, and IRMAA (the higher-income surcharge that starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026).
• Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — the official federal sources, available 24/7.

If you qualify based on income, Inland Counties Legal Services can also help with Medicare appeals and denials at no cost.

When a licensed agent makes sense

HICAP is the right first stop for education and neutral advice. But HICAP counselors cannot enroll you in a specific plan. When you are ready to actually compare and sign up, you have two main paths:

1. Do it yourself at medicare.gov using the Plan Finder tool, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. 2. Work with a licensed insurance agent or broker who is appointed with multiple carriers in your area.

Redlands sits in San Bernardino County, where 75 Medicare Advantage plans from 17 carriers are available for 2027, according to CMS Landscape data. That is a lot to sort through, which is why many people use a licensed agent to narrow the field.

A few tips when choosing an agent:

• Ask how many carriers they represent. More options generally mean a fairer comparison.
• Ask whether they will review your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions before recommending anything.
• Confirm they are licensed in California (you can verify at insurance.ca.gov).
• Walk away from anyone who pressures you, promises specific savings, or claims to be from Medicare.

Under CMS rules, agents must have your permission (a "Scope of Appointment") before discussing Medicare Advantage or Part D plans with you. That is a normal, required step — not a red flag.

Key dates and figures to keep in mind

Whether you go through HICAP or an agent, put these on your calendar:

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when most people can change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch or drop back to Original Medicare.
• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — a limit on what you pay for covered drugs.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• Coverage gap ("donut hole"): eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional program that lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments.

Watch out for scams

Redlands seniors have reported the usual round of Medicare scam calls — people claiming to send a "new card," asking for your Medicare number, or offering "free" braces, genetic tests, or gift cards. Medicare will never call you out of the blue to sell you a plan or ask for your number. When in doubt, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE or HICAP.