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Pair Team

Medicare Help in Santa Rosa

In Santa Rosa, a bus ride costs 75 cents at 65 or older in 2026. Here's who to call for Medi-Cal, home care, senior classes, rides, bills and fire season.

See if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

  • An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify.
  • Works with Medicare and Medi-Cal health plans
  • A real person, by phone, text or video
  • Takes just a few minutes to check
Check if you qualify

Key points

  • Sonoma County takes Medi-Cal and CalFresh applications at 2550 Paulin Drive, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, at 877-699-6868.
  • For In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), meals and rides, call the county's aging help line at 707-565-4636.
  • The city's Person Senior Wing, at 2060 West College Avenue, is for people 50 and older. Its desk number is 707-543-3745.
  • A CityBus Paratransit van ride costs $3.00 in 2026, and a regular CityBus ride at 65 or older costs $0.75.

This page covers the City of Santa Rosa. For the statewide rules, start with Medicare help in California. For family in the Bay Area, see Medicare help in San Francisco, Oakland, Marin County or Solano County.

In Santa Rosa, Sonoma County's Human Services Department handles Medi-Cal, CalFresh and the Medicare Savings Programs. Its Adult and Aging Division runs IHSS and the county's Area Agency on Aging from the Westwind Office. The county says 28 percent of its people are 60 or older. This page is for downtown, Rincon Valley, Bennett Valley, Roseland, Coffey Park, Fountaingrove and Oakmont. If a parent in Oakmont no longer drives, the city bus there will pick them up near home.

Local offices in Santa Rosa

What you need Office Phone Website
Medi-Cal, CalFresh, Medicare Savings Programs Human Services Department, Paulin Office, 2550 Paulin Drive 877-699-6868 BenefitsCal.com
Paid help at home (IHSS), meals, rides, aging help Adult and Aging Division, Westwind Office, 3725 Westwind Boulevard, Suite 100 707-565-4636 or 707-565-5900 sonomacounty.gov
Free Medicare counseling: Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) Senior Advocacy Services 707-526-4108 or 1-800-434-0222 senioradvocacyservices.org
Classes and fitness, 50 and older Person Senior Wing, Finley Community Center, 2060 West College Avenue 707-543-3745 srcity.org
Lunch and meals at home, 60 and older Council on Aging, 30 Kawana Springs Road 707-525-0143 councilonaging.com
Rides for people with disabilities Santa Rosa CityBus Paratransit (707) 546-1999 srcitybus.org
Bus fares and tickets Santa Rosa CityBus (707) 543-3333 srcitybus.org
Free food, CalFresh help Redwood Empire Food Bank 707-523-7903 refb.org
Help paying energy bills: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) North Coast Energy Services, 1100 Coddingtown Center, Suite 1 (707) 495-4417 nces.org
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) discounts: California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Medical Baseline PG&E 1-866-743-5832 pge.com
Power supply questions Sonoma Clean Power, 741 Fourth Street 1-855-202-2139 sonomacleanpower.org
Water and sewer bill discount Santa Rosa Water 707-543-3150 srcity.org
Section 8 City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority, 90 Santa Rosa Avenue 707-543-3300 srcity.org
Evacuation ride if you can't leave on your own Sonoma County Paratransit/Volunteer Wheels (707) 573-3377 socoemergency.org
Veterans benefits County Veterans Services, Westwind Office 707-565-5960 sonomacounty.gov

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 or CalFresh in Santa Rosa?

You can apply for Medi-Cal or CalFresh online at BenefitsCal.com, by phone at 877-699-6868, or in person at the Paulin Office. It's at 2550 Paulin Drive, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, the county says. Applying and renewing are free, and county staff never charge you.

The same Medi-Cal form checks you for the Medicare Savings Programs, which can pay the $202.90 a month Medicare costs you in 2026. See Medicare and Medi-Cal together in California.

To apply for IHSS, call 707-565-4636. You need Medi-Cal, and after you talk with IHSS staff, your doctor fills in a health form. See IHSS in California.

Where can I get free Medicare counseling in Santa Rosa?

For free Medicare counseling in Santa Rosa, call HICAP at Senior Advocacy Services, 707-526-4108. Its office is in Petaluma, and it also holds free talks at libraries. Counselors help you compare plans, find help with costs and appeal a denial. HICAP doesn't sell insurance or plans, and Pair Team doesn't either.

What does the Person Senior Wing offer?

The Person Senior Wing at Finley Community Center offers classes, fitness, hobbies and social time for people 50 and older. The front desk is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You don't need to join, and you can try one class free.

A yearly membership costs $50, or $60 if you live outside Santa Rosa. It adds class discounts and free legal consults.

For a hot lunch with others, or meals at home if you can't get out, call the Council on Aging at 707-525-0143. Lunch is for people 60 and older, and a donation is welcome but not required, the county says.

How do I get rides in Santa Rosa?

CityBus Paratransit is a shared van for people who can't ride the bus on their own because of a disability or health condition. It goes within three-quarters of a mile of bus routes, seven days a week. Once you're approved, call (707) 546-1999 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Book one to seven days ahead.

Each one-way trip costs $3.00, and paratransit riders ride CityBus free. Approval lasts three years and works on Bay Area paratransit too.

At 65 or older, a CityBus ride costs $0.75 with your ID. In Oakmont, call (707) 546-1999 at least two hours ahead, and Route 16 will pick you up near home. With Medi-Cal, your plan also gives rides to medical visits. See Medi-Cal rides in California.

Where can seniors get free food in Santa Rosa?

The Redwood Empire Food Bank doesn't hand out food at its warehouse, so find a site near you. Text FOOD to 707-353-3882, or call 707-523-7903 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The same team helps you apply for CalFresh. Its Senior Basket program gives older adults with low income produce and groceries each month.

How do I lower my PG&E and water bills in Santa Rosa?

To lower your PG&E bill, start with LIHEAP, which North Coast Energy Services runs at Coddingtown Center. Call (707) 495-4417 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the state says.

If Sonoma Clean Power supplies your power, you still sign up for discounts through PG&E at 1-866-743-5832, Sonoma Clean Power says. Ask about CARE, which takes 30 to 35 percent off power and 20 percent off gas, the state says. If you depend on power for medical needs, ask about Medical Baseline too.

Santa Rosa Water's Help 2 Others program takes 75 percent off the fixed water and sewer charges, about $35.32 a month from July 1, 2026. It has been full since October 2024, so call 707-543-3150 to get on the waitlist. See LIHEAP in California.

How do I get ready for a wildfire evacuation in Santa Rosa?

To get ready for a wildfire evacuation in Santa Rosa, sign up for county alerts at socoemergency.org. If a disability or health condition means you can't leave on your own, plan your ride now. The county lists Sonoma County Paratransit/Volunteer Wheels at (707) 573-3377. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911. In Santa Rosa you can also text 911 if you can't safely talk.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In Santa Rosa, a call to us about Medicare often comes with an IHSS question or a PG&E bill that keeps going up.

  • Apply for IHSS with you through 707-565-4636, and get the health form in.
  • Help you apply for CityBus Paratransit, or set up Oakmont pickups on Route 16.
  • Help you apply for LIHEAP and CARE, and get on the Help 2 Others waitlist.
  • Set up a HICAP visit with Senior Advocacy Services.

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 Rohnert Park, Windsor or Sebastopol. Is this my page?

If you live in Rohnert Park, Windsor or Sebastopol, the county offices and HICAP on this page serve you. The Council on Aging serves those towns too. But CityBus Paratransit, the water discount and the city Housing Authority are for Santa Rosa only.

How do I get on the Section 8 waiting list in Santa Rosa?

To get on the Section 8 waiting list in Santa Rosa, make an online waitlist account with the city Housing Authority. The list was closed when we checked in October 2026, and the city says it will give notice when it opens. For help, call 707-543-3300, or see housing help in California.

Is Sonoma Clean Power the same as PG&E?

Sonoma Clean Power isn't the same as PG&E, but you still sign up for CARE and Medical Baseline through PG&E. For other questions, visit Sonoma Clean Power at 741 Fourth Street.

Can I get help in Spanish?

You can get help in Spanish with Medi-Cal, because the county must give you an interpreter at no cost, state rules say. Sonoma Clean Power offers help in Spanish, and the Housing Authority offers translation if you ask.

Does Senior Advocacy Services charge for HICAP help?

Senior Advocacy Services doesn't charge for HICAP help and doesn't sell any product, it says. Federal funding pays for the counseling, the county adds.

Sources

More cities in California

Need a hand with the forms, the calls, or the follow-up?

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