Medicare Advisor in Solana Beach: Coverage That Travels With You

Solana Beach is small, coastal and well-traveled. Many residents near Lomas Santa Fe, Eden Gardens and the bluffs above Fletcher Cove split time between San Diego and a second home, visit family out of state, or travel abroad several times a year. For them, a Medicare plan that works well at home is not enough. It has to work in Arizona, in Colorado and on a cruise ship, too.

Brian McArthur, creator of the Medicare Execution Process®, helps Solana Beach clients and their financial advisors build Medicare coverage around how they actually live.

Health care close to Solana Beach

  • Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas: a few minutes north on I-5, and the closest hospital for many residents.
  • Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and Scripps Clinic: a short drive south, for specialty, cardiac and surgical care.
  • UC San Diego Health (La Jolla): academic medicine, cancer care and clinical trials.

All of these accept Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage networks vary by plan and year, so a plan may include one Scripps campus but not UCSD, or the reverse.

Traveling or living part of the year elsewhere

This is where the two paths really differ:

  • Original Medicare with a Supplement works with any provider across the U.S. that accepts Medicare, with no network to check. Plan G and Plan N also include foreign travel emergency coverage, subject to a deductible and lifetime limit.
  • Medicare Advantage plans are built around a local network. Emergency and urgent care are covered anywhere in the U.S., but routine and specialist care away from home is often limited. Some plans offer travel benefits; details vary by plan.

If you spend months away each year, we look at this before anything else.

Turning 65 in Solana Beach

  • Initial Enrollment Period: seven months around your 65th birthday month.
  • Still working: creditable coverage from a large employer may let you delay Part B without a penalty.
  • HSA contributions: stop them before Medicare starts. Premium-free Part A can be backdated up to six months.
  • Medigap open enrollment: six months from your Part B effective date, with no medical underwriting. If travel matters to you, this is the window to secure a Supplement.

Original Medicare + Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage

In 2026, Part B is $202.90/month standard (more with IRMAA). Plan G pays the gaps except the $283 Part B deductible. Plan N has a lower premium and small copays. A standalone Part D plan covers prescriptions.

Medicare Advantage can be a good fit for someone who stays close to home, uses one health system and wants a single plan with an out-of-pocket maximum. Premiums, benefits and networks vary by plan, so we compare the plans we offer in San Diego County against your doctors, prescriptions and travel.

IRMAA for coastal households

Most of our Solana Beach clients pay IRMAA, so it belongs in the plan. 2026 Part B brackets for single filers (married filing jointly use double the thresholds):

  • Up to $109,000: $202.90/month
  • $109,001 – $137,000: $284.10/month
  • $137,001 – $171,000: $405.80/month
  • $171,001 – $205,000: $527.50/month
  • $205,001 – $500,000: $649.20/month
  • Above $500,000: $689.90/month

The premium is based on your tax return from two years earlier. Capital gains, a property sale, RMDs and Roth conversions can all move you up a bracket. Form SSA-44 can request a reduction after a life-changing event such as retirement.

Working with your financial advisor

Solana Beach clients often come to us through their wealth manager or CPA. Brian works with them on timing: when income drops, which year a property sale lands, and how that shows up in IRMAA two years later. Your advisor receives a summary of the coverage placed. There is no fee-sharing arrangement.

Frequently asked questions

I spend winters in Arizona. Which coverage works there?

Original Medicare with a Supplement works with any Medicare provider in the U.S. Most Medicare Advantage plans cover only emergency and urgent care outside their service area, so routine care away from home may not be covered.

Does a Medicare Supplement cover me overseas?

Plan G and Plan N include foreign travel emergency coverage, subject to a deductible and lifetime limit. Original Medicare on its own generally does not cover care outside the U.S.

Can I use both Scripps and UCSD?

Yes, with Original Medicare and a Supplement. With Medicare Advantage, it depends on the plan’s network.

My income is high this year because of a home sale. Will that affect Medicare?

It can raise your IRMAA two years later. We model this with your advisor before the sale where possible.

Can we meet by video?

Yes. Most meetings are by phone or video.

Book a 30-minute Medicare planning call

Live in Solana Beach and want Medicare coverage that works at home and away? Book a 30-minute call with Brian McArthur.

Book your call at go.designmymedicare.com/brian

Phone: 619-885-0556

For the full comparison, see Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement. Nearby areas we serve: Del Mar, Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending, see what to do if you are losing your Medicare Advantage plan in 2027.

Brian McArthur is a licensed insurance agent. Design My Medicare® and the Medicare Execution Process® are registered trademarks. Premium figures cited are 2026 standard amounts published by CMS; individual premiums vary based on income (IRMAA), plan choice and carrier. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.