Sources and methods
Where every date, rule and phone number on California Medicare Guidance comes from, and how it is checked.
Federal rules
Enrollment windows, penalties and coverage-start rules come from Medicare.gov and the Social Security Administration. Each rule card names its source page, the date the rule took effect, and the date we last checked it.
The calendar engine turns a birth month and a few yes/no answers into dates using only those rules. The same code runs on every site in this network, and a fixed set of test dates must produce the same answers in every language before a change is released.
California rules
State rules — the Medigap birthday rule, under-65 Medigap rights, HICAP, and Medi-Cal's Medicare Savings Programs — cite the California Department of Insurance, the Department of Aging and the Department of Health Care Services.
Local resources
Every phone number and link on the local help page is a public agency, reviewed on the date shown beside it. Numbers are re-verified before any public release and at least quarterly afterwards. If a number is wrong, the corrections page says how to tell us.
County figures
Counts of people with Medicare and Medicare Advantage enrollment come from CMS monthly enrollment files, with the "as of" month shown. They are context, not advice, and they are never used to decide anything about you.
Review status
Pages that carry a review line were checked by the named reviewer on the date shown. Lauri Middleton, RN, MSN reviews for accuracy against the sources each page cites; Karen Orilla reviews for plain language and clear design. Their credentials and the register of every reviewed page are on the reviewers page.
Who reviews the content
A review checks a page against the official sources it cites on the date shown. It is not medical, legal or insurance advice for your situation, and it does not replace confirmation from Medicare, your plan or a licensed professional.
Who reviews this content
Two named people check the pages that carry a review line. The line names the reviewer, what was reviewed and the date, and the review register lists every reviewed page. Both reviewers work at HealthcareGPS Inc., the parent company of HealthBenefitsCompass LLC, which operates this site.
Accuracy review
Lauri Middleton, RN, MSN
Chief Clinical and Content Officer · HealthcareGPS Inc. · 37+ years of experience
Reviews Medicare rules, dates, costs and coverage explanations for accuracy against the official sources each page cites.
Registered Nurse with a Master of Science in Nursing, more than 37 years of cardiothoracic nursing experience and roles in health insurance. She has long worked to give consumers and healthcare professionals the tools to navigate health insurance and make better healthcare choices.
- Credentials
- RN — Registered Nurse
- MSN — Master of Science in Nursing
- License
- Licensed Medicare insurance agent
Key note: Lauri is also a licensed Medicare insurance agent. That license is why she reads enrollment, plan and cost rules the way an agent must. It is not used on this site: nothing here is sold, recommended or enrolled, and reading this site does not make anyone your agent.
Plain-language review
Karen Orilla
VP Marketing and Design · HealthcareGPS Inc. · 20+ years of experience
Reviews pages for plain language, readability and clear design for older adults and the people who help them.
More than 20 years in healthcare and financial services, specializing in creative and strategic design. Her focus is clear, user-friendly design that helps people understand and act on what they read.
A review checks a page against the official sources it cites, on the date shown. It is not medical, legal or insurance advice for your situation, and it does not replace confirmation from Medicare, your plan or a licensed professional.
Get help
Free Medicare counseling
California HICAP offers free, confidential Medicare counseling. Ask the local program about language and appointment availability.
California HICAP1-800-MEDICARE
Call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for an interpreter. TTY: 1-877-486-2048.
Call Medicare · 1-800-633-4227Official information in other languages ↗External resource. Some pages are in English; ask for language assistance if needed.