Our Services

HICAP Services of Northern California offers the following free basic services: Counseling and Advocacy, Legal Representation and Referral Services, and Community Education. Our services are available to residents in El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties regardless of income or age.

Counseling and Advocacy Services

Volunteer HICAP Medicare counselors provide free, unbiased, and individualized counseling on all aspects of Medicare. Counseling sessions are confidential and by appointment only, and are generally limited to one hour. Call us to make an appointment.

Common Issues

Volunteer HICAP Medicare counselors commonly help with the following issues:

• Understanding Medicare, including understanding insurance terminology.
• Explaining how you can deal with Medicare costs, including:
  • Comparing Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans and policies.
  • Helping you find the Medicare health plan (Medicare Advantage) and/or the Medicare drug plan (Part D) that's right for you.
  • Screening for eligibility for government programs that may assist with Medicare costs.
• Assistance resolving problems with Medicare benefits, including referrals for assistance with appeals and grievances.
• Exploring Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) options and evaluating LTCI policies.

Referral Services and Legal Representation

If you have been denied a service, coverage, or payment by Medicare or a Medicare plan, or have questions about your Medicare rights, please call to schedule an appointment. For issues that cannot be resolved at an informal level, your HICAP Medicare counselor may suggest referring you to the HICAP main office in Sacramento for further assistance. HICAP may provide legal representation or referral on Medicare related appeals and grievances.

Community Education Services

HICAP is available to provide free presentations and workshops to the community on all aspects of Medicare.

Common HICAP outreach activities include:

• Medicare Informational Presentations
• Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI) Informational Presentations
• Health Fair Participation

For more detail on our community education services, see Presentations.

HICAP counseling services are provided by Counselors registered by the California Department of Aging who are acting in good faith to provide information about health insurance polices and benefits. This information shall not be construed to be legal advice, and the volunteer HICAP Counselor is generally not liable for acts and omissions in providing counseling to recipients of this service. (W&I Code, Section 9541(f).) If you choose a plan and have difficulty with the enrollment process, the HICAP Counselor may assist you. However, you will be responsible for the actual plan contract. The HICAP Counselor will NOT choose your plan for you.