UPDATE: New Medicare Insurance Options for Sonoma County Seniors

NOTE: This story was updated on Wednesday, Nov. 2 to reflect additional Medicare plans now available for seniors in Sonoma County.

Healthcare companies in Sonoma County are offering a wide range of new Medicare insurance plans for seniors.

With some plans changing around Sonoma County, you may not be able to keep your current doctor. If you're interested in switching insurance plans -- or if your current plan has changed providers --check with your provider or physician to see if the new Medicare plan covers their services.

If you need more help, contact the local Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program in Santa Rosa at 707-526-4108 or 800-434-0222.

Or, you can try  American Association of Retired Persons at 800-633-4227.

Some of the local changes include:

---Marin•Sonoma IPA, which is offering Medicare plans under a new contract with Health Net.

For information on the new Health Net’s Medicare Advantage plans, seniors may contact Health Net directly at 800-720-2486 to begin the enrollment process. 

According to Marin•Sonoma IPA, these Health Net plans could benefit some people who want to see physicians at non-Sutter Health community hospitals like Sonoma Valley Hospital, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Petaluma Valley Hospital, Palm Drive Hospital, and .

---United Healthcare, which has several plan options for Sonoma County seniors.

A spokesperson for United Healthcare  said the new plans have "richer benefits than our 2011 plans and a choice of receiving care from hundreds of physicians." 

One of United Healthcare plans is the AARP MedicareComplete SecureHorizons Plan 2 [HMO]. This is the only standard Medicare Advantage plan available in the Sonoma County in 2012 that has a $0 monthly premium beyond the Part B premium required by Medicare.

The United Healthcare plan offers care available at Sutter Health’s hospital and physician network in Sonoma County. That includes Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa and the Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods network, totaling more than 600 physicians.  

In additiion, the United Healthcare plan’s network is broader than the Sutter-employed physician network. It also includes Annadel Medical Group, Northern California Medical Associates and other contracted physicians throughout the county, including the city of Sonoma.

Other local options may be Anthem Blue Cross or straight Medicare. Check with your provider or the counseling resources listed above for more information.