If you're helping a parent in Virginia pick a Medicare drug plan, or you're on Medicare under 65 because of a disability, Virginia VICAP counseling is free and comes with no sales pitch. The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) says the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) offers free, unbiased, and confidential help for people with Medicare, and that VICAP counselors can't sell you anything. To reach a VICAP counselor, DARS says to contact your local Area Agency on Aging, and the national center for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) lists 1-800-552-3402 as the call number for VICAP.,

In This Guide

What Is VICAP?

VICAP, the Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program, is Virginia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), the program the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center lists under "Contact Your SHIP" on its Virginia page. The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) describes SHIP nationally as your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program and a national program of ACL, and it says that depending on your area you may know your local SHIP by another name. In Virginia, that other name is VICAP. For how SHIPs work across the country, see our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

Virginia's own planning documents tie VICAP to that federal program. The State Plan for Aging Services that DARS published for October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2027 describes VICAP as operating with ACL SHIP grant funding for April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025, and as a counseling program offering health insurance information, education, and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries. The grant dates are the ones printed in that plan, so they show where VICAP's funding comes from rather than its current grant terms.

What that means in practice is a counselor whose job is to explain, not to enroll you in something. DARS says VICAP counselors try to help you understand your options and get the best insurance at the lowest cost. For the wider picture of Medicare costs and plan types in the state, see our Virginia Medicare plans and coverage guide.

Who Can Use VICAP in Virginia?

DARS's list of what VICAP can help with includes "any beneficiary, including those with disabilities and younger than 65." So if you qualified for Medicare early through a disability, VICAP's help is open to you, not only to people 65 and older. Our guide to getting Medicare under 65 through disability covers how that route into Medicare works.

If you're sorting out coverage for a mother or father, our guide to helping a parent with Medicare walks through the calls, forms, and online account access involved.

What Can a VICAP Counselor Help You With?

DARS lists eight things a VICAP counselor can help with:

  • Medicare and Medicare Part D (finding a plan that meets your needs)
  • Medicare Advantage Plans
  • Medigap (Supplemental Insurance)
  • Cardinal Care Managed Care
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Appeals, denials, and low-income assistance programs
  • Any beneficiary, including those with disabilities and younger than 65
  • Preventing health care fraud

DARS also says VICAP counselors are trained and certified to explain your options, help you compare plans, apply for benefits, and understand your rights.

When is a drug plan review worth booking?

Loudoun County's VICAP Medicare Counseling Program page names three moments when VICAP counselors can help Medicare beneficiaries compare prescription insurance options: when first enrolling in Medicare, when moving or retiring from work, and during the Annual Enrollment Period every year between October 15 and December 7. Medicare calls that fall window Open Enrollment, and during it you can join, drop, or switch to another Medicare drug plan if you're in Original Medicare, or switch between Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan. For a change made during Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7), Medicare says the health or drug plan must get your enrollment form by December 7, and a switch to a new health or drug plan starts your new coverage on January 1.

If your parent reviews the options and is happy with the current plan, Medicare says there's nothing to do, because the coverage continues automatically. One change is harder to undo than the others: Medicare warns that someone who drops Medigap to join a Medicare Advantage Plan may not be able to get the same Medigap policy back later, depending on the state's Medigap enrollment rules and their situation. That's a good question to put to a VICAP counselor before anyone signs, and our guide to Virginia's Medigap birthday rule explains the state-specific side. For the full list of fall changes, see our Medicare Open Enrollment guide.

If the real worry is paying for Medicare on a limited income, "low-income assistance programs" is on DARS's VICAP help list, so it's a fair topic to raise at the appointment. For background before you go, see Medicare's page on Medicare Savings Programs, the Social Security Administration's page on Extra Help, and our guides to Virginia's Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Savings Programs nationally, and Extra Help with Part D costs.

How Do You Get a VICAP Appointment?

DARS gives a two-step route to a VICAP counselor, and it runs through your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). DARS describes an Area Agency on Aging as one that plans, coordinates, and advocates for services that support older adults and caregivers in maintaining independence and quality of life.

1
Step 1

Find your local Area Agency on Aging

DARS's Find Your Local Area Agency on Aging page asks you to choose your city or county. If you're arranging help for a parent, choose the city or county where your parent lives.

2
Step 2

Ask for a VICAP counselor

DARS says to contact your local Area Agency on Aging and ask to schedule a meeting with a VICAP counselor.

If you'd rather start by phone, the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center's Virginia page lists 1-800-552-3402 as the call number for VICAP. DARS's own VICAP page gives the local Area Agency on Aging as the route to a VICAP counselor, so keep that route in hand too.

Before the meeting, write down the one question you most need answered, whether that's a drug that isn't covered or a letter you don't understand. A VICAP counselor can cover a lot of ground, and a clear starting point keeps the time focused on your situation. Our overview of the Area Agencies on Aging explains what else your local agency may offer.

Will a VICAP Counselor Try to Sell You a Plan?

DARS says VICAP counselors can't sell you anything and do not sell insurance. That's the practical difference between a VICAP appointment and a call with an agent: the VICAP counselor isn't selling the plan your parent ends up choosing.

A federal independence rule backs that up for every state's SHIP, including VICAP. Federal law at 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4 requires a state's SHIP grant plan to give assurances that staff members of the counseling program, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing that counseling.

ACL's national conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) programs goes further for SHIP volunteers anywhere in the country. It says no person with a personal, philosophical, or financial conflict of interest in connection with their SHIP or SMP work may serve as a volunteer, and it gives one example of an inherent conflict: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans. If you're weighing a free counselor against a broker, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

How Can VICAP Help With Medicare Fraud or a Denial?

Both problems are on DARS's list: "Appeals, denials, and low-income assistance programs" and "Preventing health care fraud" are two of the eight things a VICAP counselor can help with.

On fraud, VICAP works alongside a second program. Loudoun County's VICAP page says that, working collaboratively with the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), VICAP counselors help educate and empower beneficiaries to take an active role in detecting and preventing health care fraud and abuse. The same Loudoun County page says the Virginia SMP works with local Area Agencies on Aging and volunteers, and that its mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. If a Medicare statement shows a service your parent never got, that's the kind of thing to bring to the appointment. Medicare's page on reporting Medicare fraud is the federal starting point, and our guide to protecting yourself from Medicare fraud covers the warning signs.

On denials, Medicare's own guide points readers to their SHIP. The April 2026 Medicare Appeals guide, published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as Product No. 11525, tells people with Medicare to call their State Health Insurance Assistance Program for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. In Virginia, that SHIP is VICAP. Have the denial notice in front of you when you meet a VICAP counselor, and see our step-by-step guide to appealing a Medicare denial for how the levels of appeal work.

What If the Problem Is Your Cardinal Care Plan?

If you or a parent has full Medicaid as well as Medicare, Cardinal Care is the name to know. DARS describes Cardinal Care as a statewide Virginia Medicaid managed care program that coordinates care for full Medicaid beneficiaries. Cardinal Care Managed Care is on DARS's list of VICAP topics, so a VICAP counselor can help you understand how the two programs fit together. Our guide to Medicare and Medicaid together explains dual eligibility, and our Virginia Medicaid guide covers the state program.

When the problem is with the Cardinal Care health plan itself, DARS offers a separate kind of help. DARS says its Medicaid Managed Care Advocates help Cardinal Care recipients solve problems with their healthcare. DARS says a Cardinal Care recipient should contact a Medicaid Managed Care Advocate if they:

  • Cannot solve a problem by talking with their health plan
  • Receive bills they think the health plan should cover
  • Disagree with a plan denial of health care or service
  • Have a problem and the plan has not responded to them
  • Want to file a grievance (complaint) or an appeal

To speak with a Medicaid Managed Care Advocate, DARS says to contact the State Ombudsman office at 804-663-7821, and it says the program is managed by the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. DARS describes these Advocates as help for Cardinal Care recipients, so they're the route for a Medicaid plan problem rather than a Medicare-only one. If a Cardinal Care denial turns into a formal dispute, our guide to Virginia Medicaid appeals and fair hearings explains that process.

When Should You Call 1-800-MEDICARE Instead?

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line, operated by CMS, and TTY (text telephone) users call 1-877-486-2048. Medicare.gov says callers can talk or live chat with a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. That makes 1-800-MEDICARE a line you can try at night or on a weekend.

Where you start depends on the kind of problem. CMS says to contact your Part D or Medicare Advantage plan first for a plan-related issue, using the number on your plan member ID card, and to contact 1-800-MEDICARE for an Original Medicare concern or when the plan couldn't resolve your inquiry. A VICAP counselor fits alongside both, as the free, unbiased place to talk through the choice itself. Our guide to who to call for Medicare help compares the options side by side.

Which Virginia Help Line Fits Your Problem?

Each of these four services handles a different kind of Medicare or Medicaid problem, based on how DARS, Loudoun County, and CMS describe them.,,

Service Who it's for What it helps with How to reach it
VICAP Any Medicare beneficiary, including people with disabilities and people younger than 65 Comparing Medicare, Part D, Medicare Advantage, and Medigap options; appeals and denials; fraud prevention Your local Area Agency on Aging, found through DARS's city-or-county locator
Medicaid Managed Care Advocates Cardinal Care recipients Plan problems, unexpected bills, plan denials, grievances, and appeals The State Ombudsman office, 804-663-7821
Virginia Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers Preventing, detecting, and reporting health care fraud, errors, and abuse Works with local Area Agencies on Aging
1-800-MEDICARE People with Medicare Original Medicare questions, or plan issues the plan couldn't resolve 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I contact VICAP for my parent?

Yes, families are part of who SHIPs serve: ACL says SHIPs nationally give unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers, and VICAP is Virginia's SHIP. In practice, you can look up the Area Agency on Aging for your parent's city or county and make the first call yourself. Plan for your parent to be part of the VICAP meeting, since the coverage choices are theirs.

What if my parent misses the December 7 deadline?

Medicare says December 7 is, in most cases, the last day to change Medicare coverage for the next year, because a health or drug plan must get the enrollment form by that date. Medicare also says that outside the yearly enrollment periods, changes to Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug plans are possible when certain life events happen, like moving or losing other coverage, through a Special Enrollment Period. If one of those events applies, a VICAP counselor is a free place to talk through your parent's options.

If my parent keeps the same plan, can anything change next year?

Yes. Medicare says that if you keep your current coverage, any changes to its benefits or costs for the new year also start on January 1. That's why a plan your parent was happy with last year is still worth a look each fall, and DARS describes VICAP's help for people with Medicare as free.

Do other states have a program like VICAP?

Yes. Medicare's Medicare Appeals guide says you can get the phone number for the SHIP in your state at shiphelp.org or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. If a parent lives in another state, see how two other states run theirs in our guides to Ohio's SHIP and California's SHIP.

Is what I tell a VICAP counselor kept private?

DARS describes VICAP's help as confidential, along with free and unbiased. Virginia's State Plan for Aging Services also calls VICAP a confidential counseling program. If you have specific privacy questions, ask the Area Agency on Aging when you schedule the VICAP meeting.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare in Virginia: Plans and CoverageMedicare in Virginia for 2026: Part A and B costs, Medicare Advantage, Part D, SCC-regulated Medigap, Medicare Savings Programs, and free VICAP counseling. MedicareFree Medicare Counseling: What SHIP Is and Whether It's Really UnbiasedSHIP gives free Medicare counseling. Federal law requires its counselors to have no conflict of interest, and ACL bars licensed insurance agents. Find yours. MedicareSHIP Counselor vs. Medicare Broker: Who Actually Pays Each OneA SHIP counselor and a Medicare broker are both free to you, but one is paid by the government and one by the insurer. See who pays each and when to use which. MedicareVirginia's Medigap Birthday RuleVirginia's Medigap birthday rule gives you a 60-day window each year to switch to a same-benefits plan from any insurer with no medical underwriting. MedicaidVirginia Medicare Savings ProgramsVirginia Medicare Savings Programs in 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, Part B premium savings, Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through DMAS. MedicareMedicare Help: SHIP, 1-800-MEDICARE, or the Medicare Ombudsman?Three free, official ways to get Medicare help. Use SHIP for plan choice, 1-800-MEDICARE for account questions, and the Ombudsman as a last resort.

Find personalized help getting ready for a free VICAP Medicare counseling appointment at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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