Answers About Medicare

Feeling overwhelmed by your Medicare options?

It’s understandable.

Whether you have many questions or just one, the California Department of Aging’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) provides free, confidential Medicare counseling to help you or a loved one understand your options.

HICAP counselors receive specialized training in Medicare to provide free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling, education, and assistance. They help people age 65 and older, their families, people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of a disability, and others who are eligible for Medicare. Counselors help people make informed decisions about Medicare, Long-Term Care Insurance, and other health coverage.

HICAP Medicare counseling is available throughout California. You can find your local HICAP office by visiting the Find Services in My County page through the California Department of Aging or by calling (800) 434-0222.

HICAP counseling is available for:

• People age 65 and older who are eligible for Medicare
• People under age 65 who qualify for Medicare because of a disability
• People who will soon be eligible for Medicare

Interested in becoming a volunteer HICAP counselor? HICAP is always seeking volunteers from all backgrounds and those who speak languages other than English to broaden the community of older Californians we serve. HICAP counselors need to be free from any conflicts of interest and have a high degree of integrity, a willingness to learn, and the desire to help others. You can learn more about volunteering for HICAP by contacting your local HICAP office or calling (800) 434-0222.

For more information on Medicare or the Medicare open enrollment period, visit the federal government’s Medicare website at www.medicare.gov.