Welcome to
California Health Advocates

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to Medicare advocacy and education for Californians. Our website provides accurate and unbiased information about Medicare benefits and long-term care for people who live in California.

Learn about:

• Your prescription drug coverage;
• Low-income programs and the basics of your Medicare benefits;
• How Medigap (a private insurance policy) can supplement your coverage;
• Preventing Medicare fraud and our Senior Medicare Patrol project;
• Long-term care options.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Jan 19, 2012 Blog Medicare has designated January as National Glaucoma Awareness Month as a way to increase people's awareness of glaucoma and Medicare's covered glaucoma screening benefit.

CVS Caremark Corp. Charged with Dececptive Pricing Practices on Part D Drugs

Jan 13, 2012 Blog CVS Caremark Corporation will pay $5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented the prices of certain Medicare Part D prescription drugs – including drugs used to treat breast cancer symptoms and epilepsy – at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Medicare = Big Bucks for Insurers. Can They Afford to Leave the Market?

Jan 5, 2012 Blog When Congress debated cutting payments to Medicare Advantage plan sponsors, what did the sponsors threaten? To get out of the Medicare market.

Phone Scam Alert! Protect Your Identity

Dec 21, 2011 Blog We've received another report of a Medicare telephone scam this morning. Please alert your clients to never give out personal information, including their Medicare and bank account numbers, over the phone to someone they don't know.

Open Enrollment Ends on Dec 7 But Some Beneficiaries Have More Time

Dec 6, 2011 Medicare Basics Even though Open Enrollment ends Wednesday Dec 7, beneficiaries who are in non-renewing Medicare Advantage or Part D plans have until Feb 29, 2012 to join another plan.

What's Happening to My Medicare?

Nov 21, 2011 Health Care Reform The Super Committee announced that it will not reach a "debt deal" by this Wednesday, hence triggering a host of automatic cuts across the board. During the recent deliberations, proposals to reform Medicare have become pervasive around the growing concern of our federal deficit. This article provides a summary of these proposals and why they will not reduce Medicare spending in the long run.

Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of New Health Care Law & Key Provisions

Nov 16, 2011 Blog On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will review the legal challenges against the federal health reform law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in early spring 2012. While several different lawsuits challenging the law were presented to the justices, the court will only review the multistate lawsuit filed by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business.

Beneficiaries Gain a New Right to Switch to a 5-Star Health Plan Starting 12/8/11

Nov 7, 2011 Blog As a way to reward Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans that receive high performance ratings by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and to guide beneficiaries toward such plans, there will be a new Special Election Period (SEP) allowing Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in MA and Part D plans that receive an overall 5-star rating by CMS’s Plan Performance Rating system. 

Webinar: Medicare in 2012 (registration required)

Nov 15, 2011 CMC Learn about changes to the Medicare program in 2012; proposals to reform Medicare that were presented last summer and are under consideration by the Super Committee; and current Medicare fraud trends.

5,400 Beneficiaries to be Disenrolled from Kaiser's Special Needs Plan

Nov 8, 2011 Medicare Advantage Kaiser will be disenrolling more than 5,400 beneficiaries from their Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) by December 31, 2011. This involuntary disenrollment will affect beneficiaries in 30 counties.

50% Discount on Part D Brand Name Drugs Continues for 2012; 14% Discount on Generics

Nov 8, 2011 Prescription Drugs Starting January 1, 2012, beneficiaries who reach the Part D coverage gap continue to have a 50% discount on their brand name drugs; their generic drug discount will double to 14%, up from 7% in 2011.

California Beneficiaries Hit Hard by Medicare Advantage Plan Pull-outs

Nov 3, 2011 Medicare Advantage Almost 151,000 beneficiaries in California are in Medicare Advantage plans pulling out of the Medicare market in 2012. These plans are not renewing their Medicare contracts, their plans are terminating by the end of the year, and beneficiaries enrolled in these plans need to choose a new coverage option for 2012.

Understanding Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visit: Frequently Asked Questions

Nov 3, 2011 Basics As of January of this year, Medicare began offering an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), a benefit covered once every 12 months after the first year of Medicare coverage that has no deductibles, coinsurance or copayments. Under this benefit, beneficiaries to develop a plan with their doctors to keep them healthy, vital and independent.

AB 151 Increases California Beneficiaries' Rights to Purchase Medigap Policies

Nov 3, 2011 Other Health Insurance California Medicare beneficiaries will have an expanded right to buy a guaranteed issue Medicare supplement insurance policy (Medigap) without health screening after January 1, 2012, thanks to California Assembly Bill 151 by Assemblyman Monning.

Medicare Costs for Part B Services Decrease for 2012

Nov 1, 2011 Blog Medicare costs for 2012 are out, and for the most part, Part B cost-sharing will be less than projected for all beneficiaries in 2012. 

Consumers Beware of Medicare Advantage Marketing Fraud

Oct 19, 2011 Blog DMHC has reports of several insurance agents who are trying to persuade seniors to switch from their current health plan to the Medicare Advantage (MA) plan they are selling even though it is not in their best interest, and sometimes even without their consent.

California Beneficiaries Hit Hard by Medicare Advantage Plan Pull-outs

Oct 11, 2011 Blog Almost 151,000 beneficiaries in California are in a Medicare Advantage plan that is pulling out of Medicare in 2012. This means these plans are not renewing their Medicare contracts, their plans are terminating by the end of the year, and beneficiaries enrolled in these plans need to choose a new coverage option for 2012.

Fraud at Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities

Sep 26, 2011 Fraud and Abuse How can medical facilities bill Medicare for services on a day when they're closed, or if they don't even exist in a physical location? Yet, this is what Office of Inspector General is finding on their site visits to Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTF), particularly in the Los Angeles area.

USA Today Highlights California SMP

Sep 21, 2011 Blog Today's USA Today newspaper has a prominent article on the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program and the contribution of volunteers nationwide.

91 People Charged for Fraudulently Billing Medicare $295 Million

Sep 13, 2011 Blog The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) Strike Force did a takedown in 8 cities, resulting in charges against 91 defendants, including doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

Medigap Cost-Sharing Changes Meet Diverse Opposition

Aug 30, 2011 Blog A provision in the 2010 federal health care reform law calls for changes in Medigap policies that essentially shift the burden of health care costs more onto the hands of beneficiaries.

California SMP Volunteer, J. Ray Jones, Receives National Volunteer Recognition Award

Aug 29, 2011 Press The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, honored the contributions of 10 senior volunteers who serve as community educators, including California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) volunteer J. Ray Jones of San Francisco.

California's Senior Medicare Patrol Receives 4 Awards

Aug 23, 2011 Press The Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services presented four awards to California's Senior Medicare Patrol program at the 2011 National SMP Conference in Washington DC.

Stand Out in Your Outreach: Tips for Success at Health Fairs

Jul 27, 2011 Fraud and Abuse How do you stand out amongst the crowd and attract and engage the public? Marta Erismann, our Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Community Outreach Coordinator, can tell you.

Bridging the Gap: Affordable Health Care Options in the Pre-Medicare Years

Jun 27, 2011 Medicare and Other Health Insurance Increasingly, people in their pre-Medicare years who have retired early or lost employer covered health benefits are contacting us with concerns about health insurance. Learn about several useful resources.