How to get free Medicare help

We are a nonprofit public service funded by the state, city, and county government.

We provide free Medicare health insurance counseling to thousands of Los Angeles residents every year.

Who can get help?

The Center for Health Care Rights helps older adults, people with disabilities, and their family members and caregivers in Los Angeles County navigate Medicare and get the health care they need. 

State-registered Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) counselors are trained to provide Medicare counseling and advocacy for people with Medicare.

You must be a resident of Los Angeles County and

Age 60 and older; or

A Medicare beneficiary of any age.

Three ways to get help:

Helpline

Speak with a counselor

Meeting

Meet with a counselor

Workshop

Get training from our experts

  1. Call the free telephone helpline at 800-434-0222

    • Speak one-to-one with our state-registered Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) counselors for answers to your Medicare questions. Available in 230+ languages.

    • Or submit an appointment request to schedule an appointment. 

  2. Meet with a counselor 

    • Get help from a state-registered Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) counselor in locations across Los Angeles County.

  3. Come to a workshop or event

    • Get up-to-date Medicare information. We offer workshops and webinars for people with Medicare and their caregivers, as well as training workshops for social workers and health care professionals.

Free telephone helpline

Get one-to-one counseling services on Medicare, Medi-Cal, and other related health insurance through the Center for Health Care Rights’ toll-free telephone helpline. 

Call to schedule an appointment:

(Los Angeles County residents only)

Open business hours Monday through Friday, or leave a voicemail.

We provide help with questions and problems relating to:

  • Medicare Part A and B eligibility, benefits, and claims

  • Medicare coverage rules

  • Medicare coordination with private insurance

  • Medicare Part D plan choices

  • Insurance options for supplementing Medicare — Medigap insurance and Medi-Cal

  • Medicare Advantage benefits and claims

  • Programs that help low-income beneficiaries with Medical expenses — Medi-Cal, Medicare savings programs

  • Part D prescription costs — the low-income subsidy program, also known as “extra help”

  • Medicare appeals

We’ve helped thousands of Los Angeles County residents with Medicare questions. Your call with one of our Medicare experts can take just a few minutes, or up to an hour or two. We support more complex questions and issues with more in-depth assistance.

Meet with a volunteer counselor near you

Get help from our volunteer counselors in locations across Los Angeles County. Volunteer Counselors are highly trained and are registered as Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) counselors with the California Department of Aging.

Use the chart below to identify the HICAP Volunteer Counselor near you and the phone number to call to schedule a counseling appointment.

If assistance is needed making an appointment, call Jenny Reyes, Volunteer, and Administrative Coordinator, at 213-383-4519, ext. 3031 or e-mail at jreyes@healthcarerights.org. The information provided below is intended for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice.

Burbank Joslyn Adult Center

Cerritos

Cerritos Senior Center

Duarte

Duarte Senior Center

Fairfax District

Jona Goldrich Multipurpose Senior Center (formerly Freda Mohr)

Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach Joslyn Community Center

Pacoima

Alicia Broadous Duncan Multipurpose Senior Center

Palmdale

Legacy Commons for Active Seniors

Santa Monica

WISE & Healthy Aging

Torrance

Torrance Memorial Medical Center
(phone counseling only)

West Hollywood

West Hollywood Comprehensive Service Center

Torrance

Bartlett Senior Citizens Center
(phone counseling only)

Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center

Reseda

ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center

Burbank

Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center/Bella Vida

Long Beach

Long Beach Senior Center

Join workshops and events

Learn about Medicare from the Center for Health Care Rights at a workshop or community event. 

We offer two types of workshops:

For people with Medicare and their caregivers

    1. These focus on helping develop a better understanding of Medicare benefits and costs and the health care choices offered by Medicare Advantage plans, Medigap insurance, and Medi-Cal. 

    2. Education programs are available in Spanish and other languages.

    3. Educational events take place at locations across Los Angeles County, at community events, and online.

For social service and health care professionals 

    1. Each year, Center for Health Care Rights staff conduct free training seminars on Medicare and Medi-Cal eligibility rules and coverage topics as well as updates on changes in Medicare and Medi-Cal policy and coverage.

Learn more about our workshops.

FAQ

  • Center for Health Care Rights’ legal staff provide assistance with Medicare Part A, B, and D appeals, serious access to care problems in Medicare Advantage plans, and other serious Medicare or Medi-Cal eligibility, claim payment, or coverage problems.

  • Tell the Center for Health Care Rights receptionist that you have an urgent problem and you will be screened for a same-day telephone appointment. Examples of urgent cases include a hospital discharge, problem filling prescriptions, termination of Medicare coverage, or inability to get Medicare Advantage plan services.

  • We welcome you to share our information with your clients or use our Client Referral Form.

  • The Center for Health Care Rights' telephone system has several language voicemail boxes for persons who speak Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Armenian, Russian, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Messages can be left at these voicemail boxes at any time. Call the language voicemail boxes and leave your name, number, and a brief description of the problem. For other languages, call us and we can arrange an interpreter, or use our contact form to request an interpreter. A Center for Health Care Rights staff member will call you back within three business days to schedule a telephone appointment with a bilingual staff counselor or an interpreter.

  • In-person counseling is available by appointment.

    Call the Center for Health Care Rights at 800-434-0222 to schedule an in-person appointment or meet with a volunteer counselor at one of the sites listed above.

    If you need special accommodations to obtain services, such as a sign language interpreter, contact the Center for Health Care Rights’ intake coordinator at 213-383-4519, ext. 3002.

  • Yes. Please feel free to request a Zoom appointment when you call.