HICAP Volunteer Counselor Program
The California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is a statewide program that provides free Medicare information, education and counseling to Medicare beneficiaries and their families.
Administered at the state level by the California Department of Aging, the HICAP Program is supported by state and federal funding. California’s HICAP Program is part of the national Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a network of Medicare assistance programs in all 50 states in the United States.
The Medicare SHIP Program is administered by the federal Administration for Community Living (ACL). The Center for Health Care Rights (CHCR) contracts with the City and County of Los Angeles Area Agencies on Aging to deliver free HICAP/SHIP services throughout Los Angeles County.
For more than thirty years the HICAP Volunteer Counselor Program has played plays a critical role in CHCR’s delivery of HICAP services. Placed at more than 25 community sites throughout Los Angeles County, HICAP Volunteer Counselors help Medicare beneficiaries understand their Medicare, Medicare Part D, and private insurance options. HICAP Volunteer Counselors also assist older adult’s access financial assistance programs that will help with their medical expenses. All HICAP services are provided free of charge.
CHCR’s HICAP Volunteer Counselors have helped thousands of beneficiaries better understand their Medicare.
Our clients have lots of positive feedback regarding the HICAP Volunteer Counselor services they receive:
Become a HICAP Volunteer:
To participate in CHCR’s HICAP Volunteer Counselor Program, interested community members must complete an Initial Training Program and Internship and must be registered as a HICAP Counselor by the California Department of Aging.
HICAP Volunteer Counselors provide a minimum of 8 hours of HICAP counseling hours each month at a community placement site and participate in HICAP continuing education and outreach activities.
To learn more about our HICAP Volunteer Counselor Program, please contact Jenny Reyes, Volunteer and Administrative Coordinator, at (800) 824-0780 ext. 3031 or jreyes@healthcarerights.org.
See our HICAP Volunteer Counseling Program brochure.
Access our HICAP Volunteer Application Form