The Health Consumer Center provides assistance with understanding eligibility for, and maintaining enrollment in, public and private health insurance programs. We help consumers address problems with their health coverage and work to hold insurers and health care systems accountable for covering and providing medically necessary services, equipment, and medications.
We also help clients understand their rights when they are impacted by erroneous or unlawful medical bills, coverage denials, or medical debt collection.
The Affordable Care Act:
Advocating for your rights and understanding your obligations under the Affordable Care Act and Covered California.
Public Health Insurance:
Addressing problems in obtaining or maintaining Medi-Cal, Denti-Cal, Medicare, In-Home Supportive Services, Paratransit, and county health programs.
Private Health Insurance:
Addressing problems in obtaining or maintaining private health insurance, as well as issues with medical bills, health services, treatment, prescriptions, procedures, and medical transportation.
What to expect when you call:
Attorneys and advocates may provide you with advice or when appropriate, general information and referrals to other organizations.
When you call, please have any relevant paperwork (such as documents, notices, or letters) available. The accuracy of the advice we can provide depends on the amount of information and detail you are able to share with our staff about your situation.
Please note that before we can speak with callers in depth about their legal issues, we must first determine whether the issue falls within the Health Consumer Center’s case priorities. If so, we must then conduct a brief confidential intake to determine whether the caller is eligible for our services. We appreciate your patience during this process.
Our hotline staff strive to serve all callers and clients with respect and courtesy and ask that callers extend the same courtesy to our staff. Please note that staff reserve the right to terminate calls if they are subjected to yelling, swearing, or other disrespectful behavior.
