Medicare Help in Bakersfield

This page covers the City of Bakersfield. For the statewide rules, start with Medicare help in California.

In Bakersfield, you apply for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and the Medicare Savings Programs through DHS. Aging and Adult Services handles IHSS, which is paid help at home. Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) runs energy bill help, the food bank and 211. This page serves Downtown, Westchester, East Bakersfield, Southwest Bakersfield and the Northwest. If a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) bill came due the week of a DHS renewal, start below.

Local offices in Bakersfield

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because the county makes the call and some of your income may not count. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can help you in one call.

How do I apply for Medi-Cal, CalFresh or IHSS in Bakersfield?

Apply online at BenefitsCal.com, or call (661) 631-6807 to apply for Medi-Cal by phone. For a CalFresh form by mail, call (661) 631-6062 on a weekday. If everyone applying is 60 or older or disabled, DHS has a separate CalFresh form for you.

The DHS main office lobby is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, with a drop box by the front door. Medi-Cal gives free interpreters, the state says, so ask your worker. The same Medi-Cal form checks you for the Medicare Savings Programs. They can pay your copays and the $202.90 a month Medicare costs you in 2026. See Medicare and Medi-Cal together.

For IHSS, call Aging and Adult Services at (661) 868-1000. A social worker calls you first, then visits your home to decide your hours. See IHSS in California.

Where can I get lunch at a senior center in Bakersfield?

If you're 60 or older, you can get lunch at a senior center in Bakersfield through the county. The county asks for a donation, but no one is turned away for not giving.

The Bakersfield Senior Center, on 4th Street, serves lunch at 11:45 a.m., Monday to Thursday. Call (661) 325-7205 to reserve. Other sites include the East Niles, Ben Austin Greenfield and Richard Prado senior centers.

Meals on Wheels brings food to people 60 and older who can't leave home. It needs a doctor's referral, and the county says there's a waitlist.

Where can I get free Medicare counseling in Bakersfield?

For free Medicare counseling in Bakersfield, call HICAP at Aging and Adult Services, (661) 868-1000. Counselors help with plans, drug coverage and appeals. HICAP doesn't sell insurance, the county says, and Pair Team doesn't sell plans either.

How do I get a ride in Bakersfield?

On GET buses, a ride costs 80 cents if you're 65 or older or show a Medicare card.

GET-A-Lift is GET's van for people whose disability keeps them from riding the bus. Call (661) 869-2438 for the form, which your doctor helps with, and GET decides within 21 days. A ride in metro Bakersfield costs $3, and drivers can't make change. Book any day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you're over 60 with low income, GET&go Reduced Fare gives you $10 off each Uber or Lyft ride, for up to 20 rides a month. Get a form at GET's office on Golden State Avenue or the Downtown Transit Center. If you have Medi-Cal, your plan also gives rides to medical visits. See Medi-Cal rides in California.

Where can seniors get free food in Bakersfield?

The CAPK Food Bank's Senior Food Program gives a 30-pound box of food each month to people 60 and older with low income. Call (661) 398-4520, then sign up in person at the nearest site with a photo ID and proof of address. The food bank, on South Washington Street, supplies more than 200 food sites, and 211 can find one near you. Monthly food money comes from CalFresh.

How do I lower my power, gas and water bills in Bakersfield?

Through LIHEAP, the CAPK Energy Program helps with power, gas and propane bills once every 12 months. Walk in at its office on 19th Street, or call (661) 336-5200. CAPK's limit is 150 percent of the poverty line, or $1,995 a month for one person in 2026. CAPK usually pays your utility within 8 weeks, and you don't pay it back.

Next, ask about CARE, which takes 30 to 35 percent off electric and 20 percent off gas, the state utility commission says. PG&E serves Bakersfield, but some parts of the city get gas from SoCalGas.

If Cal Water sends your water bill, ask about its Customer Assistance Program, which takes half off the monthly service charge. Homes of one or two people making up to $43,280 a year qualify through May 2027, and so does anyone on CARE or CalFresh. See LIHEAP in California.

Where can I find senior housing in Bakersfield?

The Housing Authority of the County of Kern, on 24th Street, runs public housing, vouchers and senior apartments. Section 8 names are drawn at random from its waiting list, so it can't say how long you'll wait.

Its senior housing list includes Park Place Senior Apartments on R Street, for people 62 and older, at (661) 634-0931. Pinewood Glen, on South Real Road, is for people 55 and older and includes three meals a day. See housing help in California.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In Bakersfield, calls to us often start with a DHS renewal letter or a past-due PG&E bill. Your advocate makes the calls and follows up.

• Help you apply through DHS, or for IHSS.
• Reserve a senior lunch, or get on the Meals on Wheels list.
• Help you apply for GET-A-Lift or GET&go Reduced Fare.
• Apply for CAPK energy help, CARE and the Cal Water discount with you.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

I live in Lamont or Arvin. Is this my page?

If you live in Lamont or Arvin, the county programs here serve you too. Lamont has its own DHS office, at (661) 635-4000, and PG&E says Arvin gets gas from SoCalGas. North of Kern, see Medicare help in Tulare County and Fresno.

How do I get a GET senior ID card?

To get a GET Senior ID card, call (661) 324-9874. A Medicare card or California ID works for single rides, but a reduced monthly pass needs GET's own card.

What if I get a shut-off notice?

If you get a shut-off notice, call CAPK the same day, then ask your utility for a payment plan. LIHEAP has crisis help for homes with a 24 to 48 hour shut-off notice, the state says.

Can I get free legal help in Bakersfield?

Yes, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance runs a Seniors Law Center for people 60 and older, with no income test, the county says. It helps with Medi-Cal, Social Security and housing, but it doesn't write wills.

Who do I call if an older adult is being abused?

Call the Kern County Elder Abuse Hotline at (661) 868-1006, which DHS lists as open 24 hours. If someone is in danger now, call 911.

Sources

• Office Hours and Locations, Kern County Department of Human Services
• Hotline Numbers, Kern County Department of Human Services
• Medi-Cal, Kern County Department of Human Services
• CalFresh, Kern County Department of Human Services
• In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Kern County Aging and Adult Services
• Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), Kern County Aging and Adult Services
• Senior Nutrition, Kern County Aging and Adult Services
• Meals on Wheels, Kern County Aging and Adult Services
• Contact Us, Bakersfield Senior Center
• Kern: Services in My County, California Department of Aging
• Fares and Passes, Golden Empire Transit District
• Seniors and Reduced Fare, Golden Empire Transit District
• GET-A-LIFT Paratransit, Golden Empire Transit District
• GET&go Reduced Fare, Golden Empire Transit District
• Services in Kern County, California Department of Community Services and Development
• Utility Assistance, CAPK Energy Program
• Contact Us, CAPK Energy Program
• LIHEAP IM 2026-01: 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines and State Median Income, Administration for Children and Families
• Senior Food Program, Community Action Partnership of Kern
• Food Bank, Community Action Partnership of Kern
• 211 About, Community Action Partnership of Kern
• Other gas utilities within PG&E's service area, PG&E
• CARE/FERA Program, California Public Utilities Commission
• Bakersfield District, Cal Water
• Customer Assistance Program Application, Cal Water
• Senior Housing, Housing Authority of the County of Kern
• Waiting List Information, Housing Authority of the County of Kern
• Contact, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
• Non-Discrimination Policy and Language Access, DHCS
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, California Department of Community Services and Development
• Medi-Medi Plans, DHCS
• 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles, CMS