Medicare and Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
The California SHIP – known as the California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) – is a free and unbiased counseling program provided by the California Department of Aging. HICAP is the primary local source for accurate and objective information and assistance with Medicare benefits, prescription drug plans and health plans.
Additionally, seniors can access California Health Advocates, a non-profit organization dedicated to Medicare advocacy and education.
Buying an Individual Health Insurance Policy in California
To learn about the different plans available in California speak with an independent insurance agent or broker. One resource is the NAHU, the National Association of Health Underwriters. You also can find information about plans in your area of the state at eHealthInsurance or HealthCompare.
California Health Insurance Guides
Several California state agencies and other advocacy groups provide guides to help state residents navigate the health insurance system.
- Finding Health Care Coverage in California - written for consumers, this guide provides an excellent overview of health insurance options in California, including contact information for local and state agencies.
- Consumer Guide to Health Insurance – a detailed overview of health insurance basics and details on specific health insurance issues in California.
- How to Use Your Health Plan – a tool to help you use your HMO or PPO. This guide has answers to many common questions, including information about your rights when you are enrolled in a managed care plan.
- California's HMO Guide for Seniors – a guide for seniors who are enrolled in a managed care plan. Provides information about your rights as a health plan member.
Additional Resources for California
The following resources provide additional information about California and may help you better understand some of the health-related issues in your state.
- Help for Californians with Pre-Existing Conditions – a fact sheet from Families USA that discusses how, under the Affordable Care Act, no one will be denied coverage, charged a higher premium, or sold a policy that excludes coverage of essential benefits because of pre-existing conditions.
- Health Coverage in California: How Will Health Reform Help? – another fact sheet from Families USA that discusses the major gaps in California's health coverage system and how health reform will address these gaps and help residents of the state, including the insured, the uninsured, people in Medicare, and small businesses.
- State healthfacts.org – a service of the Kaiser Family Foundation that provides health-related statistics about each state. You can compare California to the U.S., as a whole, or to other states. Which state has more residents without health insurance – California or Arizona? Check it out!
- America’s Health Rankings – a service of the United Health Foundation that provides state-specific rankings from 1 to 50 for a variety of national health standards, such as lifestyle and health outcomes. Where does rank California among the states for health-related issues? Would you believe 47th for air pollution and 35th for the percentage of children living in poverty?
