Home > Filing Complaints > Statewide Assistance Resources
Statewide Assistance Resources
Use the list below to get help with your health care problem from a statewide helpline or consumer assistance organization.
If you aren’t sure which agency can help you, you can contact the Department of Managed Health Care Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or submit a complaint online.
If you are looking for coverage through a public program, also check out our list of programs that provide low-cost/no-cost care.
Resources on this page
Government Health Insurance Regulators
| Resource | Description | Number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Department of Managed Health Care | Information and help 24 hours a day for members of HMO health plans and many Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPOs. | 1-888-466-2219
(California Help Center) TDD 1-877-688-9891 |
|
| California Department of Insurance | Information and help on some PPOs and other kinds of insurance. |
1-800-927-4357
(Consumer Hotline)
|
|
| U.S. Department of Labor (Employee Benefits Security Administration) | Information on COBRA, HIPAA, and federal health care rights. Help for members of health plans that their employer self-insures. | 1-866-444-3272
Northern CA: 1-415-625-2481 Southern CA: 1-626-229-1000 |
Government Programs for Health Coverage
| Resource | Description | Number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal MediConnect | Program for people who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal and who live in certain counties. | 1-855-501-3077
(Cal MediConnect Ombudsman) |
http://calduals.org |
| Covered California | California’s marketplace for finding health insurance coverage. | 1-800-300-1506 | www.coveredca.com |
| Medi-Cal | No-cost to low-cost health insurance. California’s Medicaid program. |
Contact your local county office for Medi-Cal issues. You can reach the Medi-Cal Managed Care Ombudsman at 1-888-452-8609. |
|
| Medi-Cal Access Program (formerly Access for Infants & Mothers – AIM) |
Low-cost health insurance for pregnant women with low and middle incomes. |
1-800-433-2611 |
|
| Medi-Cal Managed Care | Additional help is available to Medi-Cal beneficiaries in a managed care plan. | 1-888-452-8609 (Medi-Cal Managed Care Ombudsman)
1-800-430-4263 (Health Care Options) |
|
| Medicare | Federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older, people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease. | 1-800-434-0222 (HICAP – Help with Medicare issues)
1-800-633-4227 (Medicare – Beneficiary information) 1-877-588-1123 (Livanta – File a discharge appeal or complaint about quality of care) |
|
| Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) | State insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions. | 1-800-289-6574 | www/dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/MajorRiskMedicalInsuranceProgram |
| U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | Provides health care benefits to men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. |
1-877-222-8387 |
Other Consumer Assistance Resources
| Resource | Description | Number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| BenefitsCal | Apply for Medi-Cal, CMSP, CalWORKS, CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps) benefits in California. | N/A
Contact your region’s State benefits agency. |
|
| California Foundation for Independent Living | Advocacy and services for people with disabilities. Local centers throughout California. |
916-325-1695 TTY 916-325-1695 |
|
| Cancer Legal Resource Center | Provides free information and resources on cancer related legal issues. |
866-843-2572 TDD 213-736-8310 |
|
| County Veterans Service Offices | Help for veterans and their families with veterans benefits issues. |
1-844-737-8838 |
|
| Disability Rights California | Information and assistance for Californians with disabilities |
916-504-5820 |
|
| Health Consumer Alliance | Information on low-cost health care. | 1-888-804-3536 | https://healthconsumer.org |
| HICAP | Free Medicare information and counseling. The toll-free number connects you to the HICAP in your area. |
1-800-434-0222 |
|
| Livanta | Assists Medicare members with certain problems and appeals. |
1-877-588-1123 TTY 1-855-887-6668 |
|
| Medical Board of California | Licenses and takes complaints about doctors. Check doctors online. |
1-800-633-2322 |
|
| Mental Health Association of California | Advocacy and information to help people get mental health services. |
916-557-1167 |
|
| National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) | Information and support for families with seriously mentally ill relatives | 1-800-950-6264 |
Health Care Data and Transparency Sources
| Resource | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Hospital Compare | Cal Hospital Compare features information on California hospitals that helps consumers make smarter and more informed choices when making medical decisions. | |
| HealthData.gov | A federal government site dedicated to making high value health data more accessible to entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy makers in the hopes of better health outcomes for all. | |
| Find Your Doctor’s Payment | Interactive tool that lets you check the financial relationship of your doctor with pharmaceutical companies. | https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov |
| California Health Interview Survey | The California Health Interview Survey’s interactive tool allows you to quickly search for health statistics on your zip code, legislative district, city, county, region, and all of California. | |
| Health Services Research Information Central | This U.S. National Library of Medicine site contains selective links representing a sample of available health data. Items are selected for their quality, authority of authorship, uniqueness, and appropriateness. | |
| Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides a range of data resources in the form of online, searchable databases. Data are provided on topics such as the use of health care, the costs of care, health care systems, trends in hospital care, health insurance coverage, out-of-pocket spending, and patient satisfaction. | www.ahrq.gov/data/resources |
Last updated 10-12-18