Federal agency ยท Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Consumer Assistance Programs: state health insurance help
A federal map of state Consumer Assistance Programs that help people with health insurance problems by phone, mail, email or in person, and what to try if your state has none.
Know before you go
Some states have a Consumer Assistance Program and some do not; the page says the map shows contact details and, for states without one, other resources such as the state insurance department and the Department of Labor. Federal grants have ended: the page says that programs still operating are funded by other means. A program's help may depend on your plan type, so ask what it covers.
- Cost
- Not stated. The page lists no fee.
- Where
- Nationwide
- How to start
- Open the map, select your state, and use the listed contact. If your state has no program, use the other resources the map shows.
- Have ready
- Your insurance card; Your denial notice; A short summary of what happened
Where this comes from
- Provider
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Source we read
- https://www.cms.gov/cciio/resources/consumer-assistance-grants
- Date we read it
- . This is not a fresh check.
- Date the provider printed
- Not displayed
- What we checked
- We read the provider's public page. We have not verified availability, eligibility or outcomes for any individual.
Other starting points
- Program or service
1-800-MEDICARE: talk to a person about Medicare
The Medicare phone line and live chat, open all day every day. Staff can point you to the right step for a complaint, and can pass an unresolved complaint to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman.
From Medicare (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Program or service
American Cancer Society 24-hour helpline
A phone and chat line staffed around the clock by cancer information specialists who answer questions and connect you to services. It is an information and referral line, not an appeals service.
From American Cancer Society
- Program or service
An Arm and a Leg: First Aid Kit
An archive of articles and starter packs from the podcast An Arm and a Leg, including a starter pack on what to do if you are in collections for medical debt. General reporting on health care costs, not appeal steps.
From An Arm and a Leg