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Medicare Counselor - Medicare Resources
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Our mission is to empower, educate, and assist Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers through objective outreach, counseling, and training to make informed Medicare health insurance decisions that optimize access to care and benefits.
In California the Medicare Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), provides beneficiaries with unbiased individual assistance and advocacy related to their Medicare benefits as well as community educational opportunities.
North Bay HICAP serves the 6 counties of Lake, Mendocino, Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma.
Since 1992, the national SHIP and state HICAP network have provided critical information upon which people with Medicare rely to make informed decisions about their coverage options and enrollment decisions. As roughly 10,000 people a day become eligible for Medicare, more and more people with Medicare and their families depend on HICAP.
North Bay HICAP serves as the key source of unbiased, face to face guidance concerning increasingly complicated choices regarding Medicare.
Individual Counseling Services
HICAP registered counselors provide Unbiased and Free 1-On-1 assistance in the following areas:
- Understanding Medicare benefits
- Evaluating options to supplement Medicare
- Review and appeal assistance of claim denials
- Understanding long-term care options
- Rights as a Medicare beneficiary
- Understanding Extra Help for Medication costs and other Medicare Savings Programs
- Assisting with provider communication and coordination of benefits
HICAP counselors will not:
- Charge for any service
- Sell any product
- Make any decisions for the individual
Community Educational Presentations
HICAP offers the following educational presentations at key locations in the communities we serve:
- Medicare Fundamentals – This comprehensive 2 hour seminar is for those who want a solid and detailed understanding of Medicare. It is beneficial for those new to Medicare or beneficiaries who want a detailed refresher. Attendees receive a packet of valuable reference materials and a solid foundational understanding for years to come.
- Understanding Your Medicare – This is structured for beneficiaries who already have Medicare but want to understand some of the more detailed and in depth parts of their healthcare. It’s a 1.5 hour presentation with additional time allocated for questions and answers.
- Medicare Annual Changes and Choices – During the Oct.15-Dec.7 Annual Enrollment Period, we hold this presentation in many locations with the topic focused on new changes to Part D and Advantage Plans that take effect in the new year. There is a lot to understand and as a truly unbiased source, beneficiaries will learn about all their options so they can make informed decisions.
- Medicare Fraud Prevention – Trained HICAP staff serve as liaison' for Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). This presentation provides education on the may ways we can protect our benefits and prevent fraud. When people suspect Medicare fraud, they call our office after which details are forwarded to SMP for investigation and prosecution.
HICAP was established in 1984 under the CA Department of Aging with support through the Older Americans Act and Administration for Community Living in cooperation with the Area Agency on Aging and Senior Advocacy Services.
For additional information contact our administrative office at 800-434-0222.
This project was supported with financial assistance in whole or in part, through a grant from the Administration for Community Living and the California Department of Aging in conjunction with the Area Agency on Aging in partnership with Senior Advocacy Services.
