We know that understanding Medicare can be challenging.

Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) services are available to current Medicare beneficiaries living in Santa Clara County; those about to become eligible for benefits; and anyone who wants to learn more about buying health insurance while planning for retirement.

HICAP also serves advocates for families of seniors or service providers.

We are here to help if you or someone you know is a Medicare beneficiary or about to become one. Some Medicare basics include:

• Generally, individuals age 65 and over can have Medicare Part A benefits.
• Persons with disabilities under age 65 can have Medicare Part A benefits after the 24th month of receiving Social Security disability benefits or Railroad Retirement disability benefits. A person with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease) would get Medicare A the month disability benefits start.
• Individuals with permanent kidney failure at any age can have Medicare Part A.

Any person who is eligible for Medicare Part A is also eligible for Medicare Part B.

To have Medicare, individuals described above must also be U.S. citizens or be lawfully admitted and then continuously live in the U.S. for 5 years. Such noncitizens should contact us before their fifth year of permanent residency status.

Contact us via email or call (408) 350-3200, option 2. We are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding national holidays.