HICAP, short for Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, is funded through the Older American Act. The United States Department of Aging sends funding to the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services. HICAP is a national volunteer Medicare program that gives free and unbiased counseling, and comparisons on all Medicare Health Insurance and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. The HICAP program also resolves Medicare, HMO, and prescription drug complaints for Medicare beneficiaries.
Specific Duties
Medicare billing claims and problems, Medicare supplement insurance, MA Plans and prescription drug plans, long-term care insurance, and other related health insurance plans and products;
• Advocacy – Assist consumers to ensure that their rights under Medicare and other applicable federal and California laws or regulations are upheld, make referrals to legal services and/or other agencies, and provide other interventions as needed.
• Record Keeping – Maintain accurate records on all client contacts and services provided, perform computer input of client/counseling data into the CDA HICAP database, and provide any other data/information as requested by the Program Manager.
• Counseling – Provide individual counseling and informational services to Medicare beneficiaries, their advocates and individuals imminent of Medicare eligibility regarding Medicare billing claims and problems, Medicare supplement insurance, Medicare Advantage Plans and prescription drug plans, long-term care insurance, and other related health insurance plans and products.
Specific Requirements
• Service Location – The HICAP counselor will provide HICAP services from a designated or approved service site, such as a hospital, library, senior center, etc., or on occasion, a client’s home when the client is homebound.
• Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest – The protection of a client’s right to privacy is mandated by State and federal law. All counselors must abide by an agreement that assures client and program confidentiality and assures compliance with conflict-of-interest directives.
• Time Commitment – All counselors must agree to a length of service commitment of at least one year and provide a minimum of 40 hours of counseling/service in a 12-month calendar year period in order to maintain registered status. Counselors must also agree to annually participate in a minimum of 12-hours of continuing education on an annual calendar year basis.
