About Us

About California Health Advocates

Founded in 1997, California Health Advocates is the leading Medicare advocacy and education non-profit in California. We receive financial support from private and public organizations. See our grantors and sponsors, meet our staff, read articles mentioning CHA, or read about our first 10 years. Our work includes:

Advocacy & Policy

Advocacy: Advocating on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries and their families, we target federal and state level legislators and their staff through media and educational campaigns. We also cultivate and collaborate with strategic partners concerned with Medicare-related issues.

Policy: As the premiere watchdog organization for Medicare in California, we conduct public policy research to support improved rights and protections of Medicare beneficiaries and their families. We frequently partner with other statewide and national Medicare organizations to promote policies that positively impact Medicare.

See our Press Releases and Press Mentions.

Education

We provide accurate and up-to-date Medicare information for both Medicare beneficiaries and their families — and the, advocates and providers who serve them.

For California beneficiaries and their families: Our website provides Medicare information organized by topic, with English and Spanish podcasts available in several sections. We also support the state’s Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) who work directly one-on-one with California’s Medicare population through our trainings, technical assistance and educational materials.

For Medicare professionals: We provide current Medicare information and education through this website, our e-newsletter, blog articles, and our widely-used fact sheets concerning the Medicare’s most pressing issues, all available on our website. Our expert staff trainers also provide educational workshops, training and consultation to professionals, including HICAP counselors and staff on comprehensive Medicare topics and policy issues.

Our Partners

We, along with the California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) project, collaborate with multiple advocacy organizations throughout the state and across the nation on issues regarding Medicare, access to care and services, and Medicare fraud. See our list of partners for more information.

Contact Us

Learn about the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) project and how SMP counselors can help you resolve fraud related questions and provide education on Medicare fraud prevention.

Send Us Your Comments

Do you have comments or concerns about your Medicare coverage? Issues regarding getting your needed prescriptions from your Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan representative’s marketing practices? Let us know at comments@cahealthadvocates.org.

Hearing how Medicare is working for you is an important part of our advocacy efforts to make sure Medicare works well for all beneficiaries. Your comments help guide our recommendations with key state and national policy makers.

Contributing to Our Work

We seek tax-deductible contributions and sponsors to support our high quality educational events and publications. We are a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We’re listed with GuideStar. You may donate online or send a donation to:

California Health Advocates
5380 Elvas Avenue, Suite 221
Sacramento CA 95819

Read Our Testimonials:

“Our clients would otherwise be so distracted taking notes if not for being reassured in advance that we will send them home with CHA's clear, concise Medicare Fact Sheets. In doing so, they can focus on their discussion with the Counselor. We minimize the risk that the client may leave the office with hand-written notations that lack accuracy or might not make sense later.”

— Tamara McKeeMonterey County

“Wow! We love your presentation and personality! Thank you for coming to class and sharing your expertise on Medicare Fraud and HICAP! The students have shared with me that you have been their favorite speaker so far! They loved your stories and enthusiasm! It’s so good that the students and myself are seeing the big picture and the interrelatedness of programs. You gave us all something to think about. Thanks again for generously sharing your time with our students!”

— Gina HansenProfessor, Gerontology Dept., American River College

“Your passion and concern for this issue (Medicare Fraud and Abuse) is evident and very effective in communicating the need for vigilance among seniors.”

— Los Arcos Apartments, Poway

“I got these (Medicare fraud alert) flyers and am thrilled to have them in so many languages. I serve a large Russian and Korean population and my folks grabbed these flyers up and were so appreciate to have them in their languages. Thanks so much for your efforts in helping us keep our seniors informed and aware!”

— Resident Service CoordinatorAlameda County

“Thank you so much for the technical assistance provided by Bonnie Burns to our HICAP counselor during February and March of 2011. Our client had trouble with a long term care policy that was refusing to pay. With Mrs. Burns’ help, our counselor was able to have the client’s policy begin paying for her long term care at a benefit level of $100/day. With HICAP’s help, the client will be able to save an estimated $118,381 over 3 years! The client’s family is very happy and appreciative of our help”

— Tatiana FassieuxProgram Manager, Butte County HICAP – a program of PASSAGES

“The CHA Fact Sheets are invaluable; I do not know what we would do without them! It would be impossible to counsel and reach the population that we do, if the fact sheets were not available. They provide us with a template in which we base all our sessions on, and with them, we can confidently say to the client that we are providing them with accurate and detailed information, which will guide them into making a decision that is appropriate for them. They are the best thing next to sliced bread!”

— Jennifer Tam, San Francisco HICAP Program Manager