Hicap

What Hicap does

HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) is a free, government-funded Medicare counseling service for San Francisco County residents. It is a project of Self-Help for the Elderly, a community-based nonprofit founded in 1966, and is jointly administered by the California Department of Aging, San Francisco County, and Self-Help for the Elderly under the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) framework. HICAP is funded by grant 90SAPG0094-05-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services. The program serves people aged 65 and over with Medicare, those approaching Medicare eligibility, Medicare-eligible individuals under 65 with disabilities, and family members and caregivers, with a particular focus on low-income minority communities.

HICAP's core offerings consist of one-on-one counseling sessions with registered health insurance counselors, community workshops and presentations, and downloadable educational resources (HICAP Charts and HICAP Web Links). Counselors are volunteers who complete 30 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of shadowing before being registered by the California Department of Aging. Services are delivered through scheduled in-person appointments at eight embedded counseling sites across San Francisco — including the Independent Living Resource Center, YMCA Stonestown, Mission Neighborhood Center, Casa Adelante, Tom Waddell Clinic, Curry Center, and the Self-Help for the Elderly Main Office — supplemented by phone hotlines (415-677-7520 and 1-800-434-0222) and multilingual community presentations in Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish. The program covers Medicare benefits explanation, supplemental insurance guidance, billing and claims assistance, long-term care insurance, Medicare Part D plan selection, and Medicare fraud prevention.

HICAP is not a technology company and operates no proprietary software platforms; its service model is entirely human-delivered. Revenue flows from government grants (federal, state, and county) and voluntary donations, with all services provided at no cost to clients. The organization does not sell products or accept commissions on insurance products, positioning it as an unbiased alternative to insurance agents and brokers. Operating scope is limited to San Francisco County, while the parent organization Self-Help for the Elderly serves over 35,000 seniors annually across San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties.

Name

Hicap

Legal name

HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program)

Website

https://hicap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HICAP is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for San Francisco County, providing free, unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling to seniors, pre-Medicare individuals, and caregivers through volunteer counselors registered by the California Department of Aging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medicare Counseling Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Benefits, Insurance & Entitlement Navigation (Medicare/Medicaid/VA/LTC) (HSABAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benefits, Insurance & Long-Term Care Planning Navigation (Medicare/Medicaid/LTC) (HLADALAI), Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) Coordination & Case Management (HSABAIAM)

Keywords

• Medicare counseling services
• Health insurance advocacy
• Senior benefits assistance
• Medicare enrollment guidance
• Insurance claims support

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: HICAP receives government funding, including grant number 90SAPG0094-05-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services. HICAP is administered by the California Department of Aging, the County, and Self-Help for the Elderly.
2. Donations: All services are free of charge, although donations are gratefully accepted to help serve seniors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) provides free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling and advocacy services to seniors, Medicare-eligible individuals with disabilities, and their families/caregivers in San Francisco. Counselors registered by the California Department of Aging help clients understand Medicare benefits, supplemental insurance options, billing procedures, long-term care insurance, Medicare Part D, and fraud prevention. Services are delivered through scheduled in-person appointments at multiple San Francisco locations, phone hotlines, community presentations, workshops, and health fairs.

Product overview

HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program) is a free, unbiased Medicare counseling service administered by Self-Help for the Elderly in San Francisco. The organization operates as a single unified service offering one-on-one counseling, with supporting resources including downloadable charts, web links, workshops, and a volunteer program. Core offerings include Medicare Counseling (for understanding benefits, supplemental insurance, billing, and long-term care), Make An Appointment (scheduling at multiple San Francisco locations), Workshops & Events (community education sessions), and HICAP Charts/HICAP Web Links (informational resources). All services are provided free of charge by counselors registered by the California Department of Aging.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medicare Counseling

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35,000 seniors served annually by parent organization Self-Help for the Elderly

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Self-Help for the ElderlycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHICAP is a project of Self-Help for the Elderly, a community-based organization founded in 1966. Self-Help for the Elderly provides administrative support and is the parent organization. Each year the agency serves over 35,000 seniors in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties.
• California Department of AgingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHICAP is administered by the California Department of Aging, the County, and Self-Help for the Elderly. HICAP counselors are registered by the California Department of Aging.
• Senior Medicare PatrolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContact for Medicare fraud prevention and reporting. Senior Medicare Patrol: 1-877-808-2468
• Independent Living Resource CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 825 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
• YMCA StonestownminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 3150 20th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132.
• Mission Neighborhood CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 362 Capp St., San Francisco, CA 94110.
• Seventh Avenue Presbyterian ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 1329 7th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.
• Casa AdelanteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 1296 Shotwell St, San Francisco, CA 94110.
• Tom Waddell ClinicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 230 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102.
• Curry CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of eight HICAP counseling locations across San Francisco. Located at 333 Turk St., San Francisco, CA 94102.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• California Health Advocates: California-based nonprofit Medicare advocacy and counseling organization that provides HICAP-related services, training, and policy advocacy statewide. Directly comparable as a state-level HICAP support entity serving overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) - New York: New York State's SHIP counterpart offering free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Directly comparable as a state-administered program delivering the same SHIP model HICAP provides in California.
• Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) - Washington: Washington State's SHIP program offering free Medicare counseling through trained volunteers. Directly comparable as a state-administered SHIP offering the same model HICAP delivers in California.
• Medicare Rights Center: National nonprofit providing Medicare counseling, education, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a free counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their families, though operating at national rather than county scale.
• Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP): National ACL-funded program that partners with HICAP to prevent Medicare fraud. Comparable as a federally funded Medicare education and advocacy program with overlapping beneficiary audiences.

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Aging (NCOA): Large national nonprofit advocating for older adults, operating BenefitsCheckUp and senior benefits navigation tools. Comparable as a broader senior-benefits navigation organization with overlap to HICAP's Medicare counseling mission.
• AARP: Large national organization serving older Americans with Medicare information, advocacy, and member services. Comparable as an incumbent providing Medicare benefits education at much larger scale than HICAP's county-level operation.

Emerging players

• Medicare Interactive: Online Medicare counseling and education resource operated by the Medicare Rights Center. Comparable as a scalable, digital-first Medicare benefits navigator that could substitute for in-person HICAP counseling in some cases.
• BenefitsCheckUp (NCOA): NCOA's online tool helping seniors find benefits programs including Medicare Savings Programs and Part D subsidies. Comparable as a self-service benefits navigation platform that intersects with HICAP's counseling scope.

Regional players

• San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS): Local government agency administering aging services in San Francisco. Comparable as a regional public-sector partner that co-funds and refers into HICAP's counseling operations through the local aging services network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hicap