You live in California, you’re a senior and you are on Medicare. You’re looking for information on health care services, senior resources, Medicare news, Medigap insurance or a similar topic and you don’t know where to look.
It’s important that California seniors are aware of how and where to access information about their Medicare and health needs, suggests Alan Weinstock, insurance broker at http://www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com. With that in mind, here are some websites that California seniors may find come in handy.
California Department for the Aging
If you need assistance with your Medicare choices, the California Department for the Aging website is the place to visit. As part of the national network of State Health Insurance and Assistance Programs (SHIP), this is the website you can visit to get information on your nearest HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) office.
HICAP offices provide free community education and unbiased and confidential assistance in selecting the best Medicare plan for you. These programs help Medicare beneficiaries understand their prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare supplemental policies, Medicare savings programs and long-term care insurance. The counselors at the HICAP offices are trained to assist you with enrollment, applications, claims filing and preparing Medicare appeals.
At this site you can find information for supportive services, in-home services, congregate and in-home meals, multi-purpose senior centers, and community service employment. There are also links to programs for advocacy and protection, health insurance counseling, case management, Alzheimer’s day care resource center services and adult day health care throughout California.
California Health Advocates
California Health Advocates (CHA) is a non-profit organization focused on Medicare advocacy and education for Californians. Their goal is to provide accurate and unbiased information about Medicare benefits and long-term care for people who live in California.
California beneficiaries and their families can find Medicare information organized by topic, with English and Spanish podcasts available in several sections. They support the state’s HICAPs through their trainings, technical assistance and educational materials for California Medicare beneficiaries.
In addition, CHA offers Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) projects, which help Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. SMPs recruit and teach nearly 5,000 volunteers nationwide every year. Most SMP volunteers are both retired and have Medicare, and are thus well-positioned to assist their peers.
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Seniors on Medicare who are looking to add a Medicare supplement insurance (also known as Medigap) policy may want to check out this website where they can compare rates, plans and benefits from several prominent insurance companies all at one convenient location.
Finding resources on the Internet that provide quality information about topics important to seniors like Medicare is important. And these are just a few websites that can help.