Three different programs
Extra Help lowers Part D drug costs. Medicare Savings Programs can help with the Part B premium and, for some people, other Medicare costs. Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program. You can be eligible for one and not the others. A Medicare Advantage premium of $0 is not the same thing as qualifying for these programs.
Start with the screeners
Use the Extra Help screener, the Medicare Savings Program screener, and the Medi-Cal screener. Each one is a sketch from the answers you type. None of them is an application, and none of them is a decision by Social Security or the county. Extra Help copay levels explain what partial and full Extra Help can mean at the pharmacy. Medicare and Medi-Cal explains how the two programs sit next to each other.
Where the official answer comes from
Social Security handles Extra Help. The California Department of Health Care Services and the county handle Medi-Cal and Medicare Savings Programs. Apply there, or ask HICAP at 1-800-434-0222. This website does not enroll you.
Common questions
- Does a $0 Advantage premium mean I qualified for Extra Help?
- No. A plan premium and Extra Help are different. Extra Help is based on income and resources. The plan premium is what that plan charges.
- Can this page tell me I qualify?
- No. The screeners are educational. Social Security or the county decides.
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