Medicare Help in the Coachella Valley

This page covers the Coachella Valley in Riverside County. It serves Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Coachella and Desert Hot Springs. For the statewide rules, start with Medicare help in California.

In the Coachella Valley, you apply for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and the Medicare Savings Programs through DPSS. The county's Office on Aging also has an office in Indio. Depending on your street, power comes from IID or Southern California Edison (SCE), and water from one of several agencies. If summer cooling bills are piling up, the table below shows who to call.

Local offices in the Coachella Valley

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because the county decides, and one Medi-Cal form also checks you for the Medicare Savings Programs. 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 the Coachella Valley?

You can apply for Medi-Cal or CalFresh at BenefitsCal.com, by phone or in person. DPSS has offices in Indio, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Mecca. Offices are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but call first. 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, usually taken from your Social Security check. See Medicare and Medi-Cal together in California.

For paid help at home, call the IHSS line at 1-888-960-4477 or apply at RiversideIHSS.org. The desert IHSS office, by appointment, is at 48-133 Jackson Street in Indio. Read more about IHSS in California.

Where can I get free Medicare counseling in the Coachella Valley?

You can get free Medicare counseling from the Council on Aging Southern California, the county's HICAP, at (909) 256-8369. In the fall, counselors hold appointment days at the Mizell Center, the Joslyn Center and the La Quinta Wellness Center. HICAP doesn't sell insurance, the council says, and Pair Team doesn't sell plans either. Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 each year, and changes start January 1.

Where are the senior centers and meals in the Coachella Valley?

The Mizell Center, 480 S Sunrise Way in Palm Springs, serves lunch on weekdays from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Bring a photo ID to join the county meal program. Mizell is the valley's only Meals on Wheels provider, it says. It also cooks lunch for senior centers in Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Indio.

The Joslyn Center, 73-750 Catalina Way, is the senior center for Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. It's open weekdays, and it hands out food on Friday mornings.

The Indio Senior Center, 45-700 Aladdin Street, is for people 50 and older. A yearly membership costs $25 for Indio residents and $35 for others.

How do I get a ride in the Coachella Valley?

In the Coachella Valley, SunDial vans take you if a disability keeps you off the bus. Apply first with a form your doctor helps fill out. Once you have a SunDial card, book at 760-343-4231, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. If you're 60 or older, a regular SunBus ride costs 50 cents.

SunLine's Taxi Voucher Program makes taxi rides half price if you're 60 or older. You load up to $75 every 30 days, and SunLine doubles it. Call 760-343-3456 to apply. If you have Medi-Cal, your plan also gives rides to medical visits. See Medi-Cal rides in California.

How do I lower my power and water bills in the Coachella Valley?

To lower your power bill, first check who sends it. IID's map covers Indio, Coachella, La Quinta and Bermuda Dunes. Palm Springs is outside it, and SCE sends power bills there. The name on your bill tells you which.

IID's Residential Energy Assistance Designed for You (READY) program takes 20 percent off, or 30 percent if you're 60 or older. At 60 and up, you renew every three years. Apply at the IID office at 81-600 Avenue 58 in La Quinta, Monday to Thursday, or call 1-760-339-9032. With a shut-off notice, READY customers can get up to $125 a quarter.

In SCE areas, call 1-800-655-4555 for CARE, which takes 30 to 35 percent off. From June 2026 to May 2027, it's open to homes of one or two people making up to $43,280 a year.

For a big bill, call Community Action at (951) 955-4900 to screen for LIHEAP. If your power is already off, walk in from 2 to 4 p.m. in Mecca or Desert Hot Springs.

For water, Desert Water Agency customers can get a $300 yearly credit through Help2Others, and Coachella Valley Water District customers $150. Inland SoCal United Way runs both. In Indio, call the Indio Water Authority at (760) 391-4038 for a payment plan. See LIHEAP in California.

Where can seniors get free food in the Coachella Valley?

For free food, FIND Food Bank in Indio supplies about 130 sites, so call (760) 775-3663 or use its online map. If you're 60 or older with low income, ask about its monthly senior food box, worth about $50, FIND says. Monthly food money comes from CalFresh.

What a Pair Team advocate does

Here, calls to us often start in summer, with a cooling bill a fixed income can't cover. Your advocate makes the calls and follows up until there's an answer.

• Find out whether IID or SCE sends your bill, and apply for READY or CARE.
• Apply for your water agency's Help2Others credit through United Way.
• Help with the SunDial form or the Taxi Voucher Program, and book your first ride.
• Book a HICAP visit at the Mizell or Joslyn Center, and set up Meals on Wheels.

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 Palm Springs. Is this my page?

Yes, this is your page if you live in Palm Springs. DPSS has no office there, so the closest is at 68615 Perez Road in Cathedral City. Desert Water Agency serves Palm Springs homes, and SCE sends power bills there.

I live in Indio. Is this my page?

Yes, this is your page if you live in Indio. DPSS, the Office on Aging and the Housing Authority all have offices on Monroe Street. Indio is inside IID's power area, so ask IID about its READY discount.

My parent lives in Riverside. Is there a page for that?

Riverside has its own page: Medicare help in Riverside. The county offices are the same. But the City of Riverside runs its own power company and its own vans.

Where do I apply for housing help in the desert?

You can apply for housing help at the Housing Authority's east county office, 44-199 Monroe Street in Indio, or call (760) 863-2828. Its voucher waiting list closed on September 1, 2025, but some building lists stay open. See housing help in California.

Can I get help in Spanish?

You can get help in Spanish from HICAP, which counsels in English and Spanish. Community Action has a LIHEAP form in Spanish, and FIND posts its food calendar in Spanish.

Sources

• Office Locations for CalWORKs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, Riverside County DPSS
• Office Locations for In-Home Supportive Services, Riverside County DPSS
• Adult Services, Riverside County DPSS
• Riverside County Office on Aging
• Medicare Counseling (HICAP), California Department of Aging
• Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, Council on Aging Southern California
• HICAP Medicare Enrollment Assistance, Riverside County, Council on Aging Southern California
• Nutrition, Mizell Center
• Mizell Center
• Joslyn Center
• Indio Senior Center, City of Indio
• SunDial Paratransit, SunLine Transit Agency
• Fare Information, SunLine Transit Agency
• Taxi Voucher Program, SunLine Transit Agency
• Payment Assistance, Imperial Irrigation District
• Coachella Valley Power Service Map, Imperial Irrigation District
• Utility Assistance Program, Community Action Partnership of Riverside County
• CARE/FERA Program, California Public Utilities Commission
• Bill Assistance, Desert Water Agency
• Who We Are, Desert Water Agency
• Utility Bill Assistance, Coachella Valley Water District
• Frequently Asked Questions, Indio Water Authority
• Senior Feeding Program, FIND Food Bank
• FIND Food Bank
• Office Locations, Housing Authority of the County of Riverside
• How to Apply, Housing Authority of the County of Riverside
• 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles, CMS