Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP): Free, Unbiased Medicare Counseling

Medicare is often complex and confusing. HICAP offers one-on-one counseling to assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, friends and caregivers understand their Medicare benefits and best healthcare options.

HICAP is part of the national network of State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) and is the most dependable source of unbiased and accurate Medicare related information.
The Council on Aging’s HICAP counselors are trained California state-registered staff and volunteers. We provide Medicare counseling, community education and outreach to Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono counties.
HICAP does not sell, endorse, promote or recommend commercial insurance products or services.

Call us. We can help.

  • 1 (800) 434-0222 HICAP Hotline
  • 1 (714) 560-0424 for Orange County

  • 1 (909) 256-8369 for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

  • 1 (760) 872-5240 for Inyo and Mono Counties

62,031
Individuals Reached Through
Community Education
10,879
One-on-One Counseling Sessions
4.6M
Estimated Health Insurance Premiums and Prescription Drug Cost Savings

HICAP Can Help

COUNSEL

  • Explain Medicare benefits and plan options
  • Assist with cost-saving options

  • Understand long-term care services and support

ADVOCATE

  • Advocacy for denial of medical coverage and problems with payments to providers
  • Assistance with Medicare appeals and referrals for legal assistance
  • Medicare fraud and abuse referrals

EDUCATE

  • Community education, including Roadmap to Medicare classes
  • HICAP services and site availability across Orange County and Inland Empire
  • Other resources available for seniors throughout the counties we serve

Become a Registered HICAP Counselor

We are in need of HICAP Counselors who are bilingual in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Farsi.
Counselors provide assistance with understanding Medicare benefits and plan options and long-term services and support; help with filing appeals when claims not paid; and how to identify Medicare fraud and abuse.
HICAP Volunteer Counselors receive extensive initial training to learn Medicare. Afterwards, prospective Counselors undergo an internship, with mentoring by Senior Counselors, prior to taking the state registration test. Those completing the training program will be registered with the California Department of Aging.
Please note that persons who hold a current license to sell insurance or who receive financial or other remuneration from any health insurer are not eligible to become HICAP counselors.
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SHIP State Insurance Assistance Program

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90SAPG0052-01-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

This project is funded in part through a grant from the California Department of Aging, as allocated by the Orange County Board of Supervisors and administered by the Office on Aging.

The HICAP Program materials are federally and State funded through RCOoA. The conclusions and the opinions expressed may not be those of the State and/or RCOoA.