Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors, Acting as the Governing Board of the Area Agency on Aging
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Lee Pullen, Director, Aging and Disability Services
Subject: Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) Funds from the California Department of Aging
RECOMMENDATION:
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Acting as the Governing Board of the Area Agency on Aging for the County of San Mateo, adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) Acceptance of Older Americans Act funds for the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program from the California Department of Aging (CDA) in the amount of $71,030; and
B) Authorizing Amendment No. 2 to the agreement with Self Help for the Elderly for HICAP services to add $71,030 in funds for a revised amount not to exceed $408,883 with the term remaining April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.
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BACKGROUND:
Every four years, this Board of Supervisors, acting as the Governing Board of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the County of San Mateo, reviews and approves an Area Plan for submission to CDA.
The Area Plan profiles the County’s older adult population, identifies goals for addressing the needs of older adults and adults with disabilities, and recommends services to be funded with San Mateo County’s Older Americans Act (OAA) funds, including the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP).
HICAP provides Medicare health insurance counseling to an average of 2,000 County clients per year. This service helps clients make informed decisions about their health care needs and understand the Medicare benefits available to them. Access to a trusted source of Medicare health insurance information supports the Area Plan’s goal of maintaining a healthy older adult population.
In March 2026, the AAA, a unit of Aging and Disability Services (ADS), issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of HICAP services to older adults and adults with disabilities for the term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030, along with other OAA services. Self Help for the Elderly was selected by the RFP Evaluation Committee to provide HICAP services to County residents.
As funding for HICAP was received in March 2026, ADS executed a three-month agreement with Self Help for the Elderly with a term of April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026, with an initial agreement amount of $84,471 (“Agreement”).
On June 16, 2026, this Board accepted $367,571 in HICAP funds from CDA and approved an amendment extending the term of this Agreement through March 31, 2027, increasing the funding by $253,382 for a revised total of $337,853.
DISCUSSION:
In August 2026, CDA awarded the County $71,030 of additional HICAP funding. The County is receiving this additional HICAP funding based on county-level Medicare-eligible beneficiary data. ADS recommends amending the Agreement to increase the maximum fiscal obligation by $71,030, the amount of the additional HICAP funding (“Amendment No. 2”). These funds will be used to increase HICAP counseling staff and the number of clients served through standardized statewide training and access.
The resolution and Amendment No. 2 have been approved by the County Attorney as to form.
It is anticipated that 2,490 unduplicated older adults will be served by HICAP during FY 2026-27.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Actual |
FY 2026-27 Estimated |
|
Number of unduplicated older adults served by HICAP |
2,441 adults |
2,490 adults |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
HICAP provides older adults and adults with disabilities who are eligible for Medicare free, confidential, one-on-one counseling, education, and assistance to help them understand complex insurance options and identify the coverage that best meets their needs. Eligible Medicare beneficiaries include adults with disabilities, who make up approximately 18% of the San Mateo County population, and older adults, who make up 18.4% of the population. According to 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the demographic profile of this population by race and ethnicity is 37% White, 39% Asian, 17% Latino, 2% Black, 1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 4% other race.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the Self Help for the Elderly amendment is from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, with the addition of $71,030 for a revised not to exceed amount of $408,883 for the one-year term. The total amount of funds accepted from CDA is $438,601 for these services, inclusive of the $71,030 funding. The full amount is to be funded by state and federal funds. Funds for these services have been included in the ADS FY2026-27 Recommended Budget.