Understood Care
Patient Advocacy Without the Call Center
Searching for a patient advocate near you? Understood Care is fully virtual and covered by Medicare, so the closest advocate is the one already on your phone. One dedicated advocate handles the bills, appeals, appointments, and paperwork, and knows the programs specific to your state.
Or call (646) 904-4027.
A "near me" search usually turns up hospital complaint lines and private advocates who bill by the hour. Advocacy does not need a waiting room; it needs someone who picks up, remembers your case, and keeps going until it is fixed.
You are matched with one advocate who stays with you, not whoever happens to answer at an office near you. They learn your doctors, your plan, and your history once, and keep it.
Your advocate is a real person, backed by tools that track every bill, denial, and deadline, so nothing gets lost between calls.
A first check-in within 7 days, then a steady 30-day rhythm. You are never left wondering who is working on your problem.
Medicare is federal, but Medigap rights, assistance programs, and local resources change at the state line. Our state guides collect what actually differs where you live:
Medigap year-round switching, HIICAP, EPIC, CDPAP, all 62 counties.
See the New York guideFederal Medigap timing, HICAP, Medicare Savings Programs, STAR+PLUS and CDS, all 254 counties.
See the Texas guideFederal Medigap timing with no under-65 window, Georgia SHIP / GeorgiaCares, Medicare Savings Programs, CCSP and SOURCE, all 159 counties.
See the Georgia guideFederal Medigap timing plus a state-mandated under-65 disability window, SHIIP counseling, Medicare Savings Programs, CAP/DA and PACE, all 100 counties.
See the North Carolina guideFederal Medigap timing plus a broad under-65 disability and ESRD Medigap right (Fla. Stat. 627.6741), SHINE counseling, Medicare Savings Programs, SMMC Long-Term Care and PACE, all 67 counties.
See the Florida guideFederal Medigap timing plus a strong under-65 disability and ESRD Medigap right at age-65 rates (31 Pa. Code Ch. 89), PA MEDI counseling, the PACE and PACENET drug programs, Medicare Savings Programs, Community HealthChoices and LIFE, all 67 counties.
See the Pennsylvania guideFederal Medigap timing with no under-65 Medigap right, OSHIIP counseling from the Ohio Department of Insurance, Medicare Savings Programs, the PASSPORT waiver, MyCare Ohio and PACE, all 88 counties.
See the Ohio guideThe Medigap birthday rule (switch to an equal-or-lesser plan for 60 days every year, no underwriting) plus an under-65 disability Medigap right, HICAP counseling, the Medicare Savings Programs with no Medi-Cal asset test, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Medi-Medi Plans and PACE, all 58 counties.
See the California guideFederal Medigap timing with no birthday rule and no under-65 Medigap option, SHIP counseling from the Department of Economic Security, the Medicare Savings Programs AHCCCS runs with no asset test, and the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) with paid family caregiving, all 15 counties.
See the Arizona guideFederal Medigap timing with no birthday rule plus a narrow under-65 disability Medigap mandate, MMAP counseling (Michigan's SHIP), the Medicare Savings Programs MDHHS runs with an income and asset test, and paid family caregiving through the Home Help program, the MI Choice waiver, and PACE, all 83 counties.
See the Michigan guideFederal Medigap timing with no birthday rule plus a strong under-65 disability Medigap right at age-65 rates, SHIP counseling, the PAAD and Senior Gold state drug programs, the Medicare Savings Programs the Division of Aging Services runs with an income and asset test, and paid family caregiving through the Personal Preference Program under MLTSS, all 21 counties.
See the New Jersey guideA new 2025 Medigap birthday rule for ages 65 to 75 plus an under-65 disability Medigap right (capped at the top over-65 rate), SHIP counseling from the Department on Aging, no state drug program so Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs HFS runs with an income and asset test matter more, and paid family caregiving through the Home Services Program and the Community Care Program, all 102 counties.
See the Illinois guideA 2025 Medigap birthday rule (a 60-day window every year to switch to a same-benefit-level plan from any insurer, no underwriting) plus a strong under-65 disability and ESRD Medigap right at age-65 rates, VICAP counseling from DARS, the Medicare Savings Programs DMAS runs with an income and asset test, and paid family caregiving through the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus Waiver under Cardinal Care, all 95 counties and 38 independent cities.
See the Virginia guideYear-round Medigap switching to an equal-or-lesser plan from any insurer with no underwriting (but no under-65 disability Medigap mandate), SHIBA counseling from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Medicare Savings Programs the Health Care Authority runs with no asset test, and paid family caregiving through Apple Health's COPES waiver and Community First Choice, all 39 counties.
See the Washington guideA Medigap birthday rule (a 30-day window every year to switch to an equal-or-lesser plan from any insurer, no underwriting) plus a guaranteed-issue under-65 disability Medigap right, SHIP counseling from the Maryland Department of Aging, the SPDAP drug-premium subsidy, the Medicare Savings Programs the Maryland Department of Health runs with income and asset limits, and paid family caregiving through Community First Choice, all 23 counties and Baltimore City.
See the Maryland guideThe state's own Medigap plans (Core, Supplement 1, and Supplement 1A) with community rating and continuous guaranteed issue (switch supplements year-round, no underwriting, and no under-65 disability lockout), SHINE counseling from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Prescription Advantage drug program, the Medicare Savings Programs MassHealth runs with no asset test, and paid family caregiving through the Personal Care Attendant program, all 14 counties.
See the Massachusetts guideThe state's own Medigap design (a standardized Basic plan built up with riders, not the federal letter plans A through N, one of only three states) regulated by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, with no birthday rule but an under-65 disability Basic-plan right, the Medigap Helpline from the Board on Aging and Long Term Care, the SeniorCare drug program ($30 a year, no asset test), the Medicare Savings Programs Wisconsin Medicaid runs with income and asset limits, and paid family caregiving through the IRIS self-directed program, all 72 counties.
See the Wisconsin guideThe standard federal Medigap letter plans with no birthday rule but a state-mandated under-65 disability Medigap right (a fresh guaranteed-issue window at 65), regulated by the Colorado Division of Insurance, Colorado SHIP counseling housed within the Division of Insurance, no state drug program so federal Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs Health First Colorado runs with income and asset limits matter more, and paid family caregiving through the CDASS self-directed program, all 64 counties.
See the Colorado guideThe standard federal Medigap letter plans with no birthday rule and no state under-65 disability Medigap right (under-65 coverage is underwritten until a fresh guaranteed-issue window opens at 65), regulated by the Alabama Department of Insurance, Alabama SHIP counseling from the Department of Senior Services, no state drug program so federal Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs Alabama Medicaid runs with no asset test matter more, and paid family caregiving through the Personal Choices self-directed program, all 67 counties.
See the Alabama guideThe standard federal Medigap letter plans with no birthday rule but a state-mandated under-65 disability Medigap right (a 2011 law requires insurers to offer the same plans to under-65 disability enrollees, though they may charge that group more), regulated by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, TN SHIP counseling from the Department of Disability and Aging, no state drug program so federal Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs TennCare runs with income and asset limits matter more, and paid family caregiving through CHOICES Consumer Direction (an adult child, sibling, or parent, but not a spouse), all 95 counties.
See the Tennessee guideOne of only three states that designs its own Medigap plans (a Basic or Extended Basic plan built up with riders, not the federal letter plans) with a strong under-65 disability right (the six-month open enrollment is granted at any age) and a new 2023 fall guaranteed-issue window taking effect in 2026, regulated by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Senior LinkAge Line counseling from the Board on Aging, no state drug program so federal Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs the Department of Human Services runs with income and asset limits matter more, and paid family caregiving through CDCS and CFSS (a spouse or the parent of a minor can be paid), plus MSHO instead of PACE, all 87 counties.
See the Minnesota guideIndiana, Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina already have published Medicare guides, and their local hubs are next. We are releasing the rest state by state. Advocacy itself is available nationwide today; the guides just take longer to research properly.
See how foods, drinks, and supplements affect medicines, with timing tips, safety checklists, and key questions to ask your clinician for safer treatment.
Read more
Prep for visits, ask clear questions, use teach back, review medicines, and follow up so you can have confident, safe conversations with your care team.
Read more
Learn how to change or reset your EBT card PIN, report a lost or stolen card, spot unauthorized SNAP charges, and protect benefits from skimming and scams.
Read moreYes. Understood Care advocates work with Medicare members in every state by phone and video, so the nearest advocate is the one already on your phone. You keep the same dedicated advocate no matter where you live, or move.
Understood Care's patient advocacy is covered by Medicare, and most members pay nothing out of pocket. Private advocates in your area typically bill by the hour; this does not.
No. Everything a local advocate would do in person, from untangling bills to preparing you for appointments, your advocate does by phone or video and follows up in writing. Your advocate can also loop in a family caregiver in another city on the same call.
All 50 states, today. State guides, which explain the Medigap rules and assistance programs specific to where you live, are live for New York, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, Washington, Maryland, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee and Minnesota, and published for Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina. We are releasing the rest state by state.
Close, and the differences matter. A patient navigator (or care navigator) is the nearest synonym; Medicare's official name for the covered benefit is Principal Illness Navigation. A caseworker or social worker usually works for a county program and manages one benefit; a case manager works for your insurance plan or hospital; a care coordinator typically schedules within one clinic. Your Understood Care advocate does the navigator's job across all of them, on your side only. One thing an advocate is not: a Medicare insurance agent. We sell no plans and earn no commissions.
Sign up at app.understoodcare.com or call (646) 904-4027. You are matched with one dedicated advocate who reaches out within 7 days and then stays on a steady 30-day cadence.
Or call (646) 904-4027.