Medicare Help in Shasta County

This page covers Shasta County. For the statewide rules, start with Medicare help in California.

In Shasta County, HHSA handles Medi-Cal, CalFresh, the Medicare Savings Programs and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), which is paid help at home. The Area Agency on Aging runs HICAP, and the Shasta Senior Nutrition Program serves lunch in four towns. This page covers Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake, Burney, Cottonwood and the rest of the county. If you live in Burney, call before the long drive to Redding. To the south, see Medicare help in Butte County.

Local offices in Shasta County

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because HHSA 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 IHSS in Shasta County?

Apply for Medi-Cal online at BenefitsCal.com, or call HHSA at (877) 652-0731. Offices are open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In Redding, they're on Churn Creek Road, Breslauer Way and Park Marina Drive.

In 2026, one person 65 or older can have $1,836 a month in income and $130,000 in savings, the state says. The same form checks you for the Medicare Savings Programs. They can pay the $202.90 a month Medicare costs you, usually taken out of your Social Security check. Medi-Cal then signs you up with Partnership HealthPlan of California, the county's only Medi-Cal plan, the state says. See Medicare and Medi-Cal together.

For IHSS, call (530) 225-5507, and a social worker visits your home to decide your hours. In 2026, Shasta County pays IHSS caregivers $18.50 an hour, the state says. See IHSS in California.

Where can I get free Medicare counseling in Shasta County?

You can get free Medicare counseling from HICAP at (530) 223-0999. The Area Agency on Aging runs it for Shasta and four nearby counties. Counselors help with plans, drug costs, bills and appeals, and with signing up when you turn 65. Open Enrollment runs each fall, October 15 to December 7, and changes start January 1. HICAP and Pair Team don't sell plans.

Where can I get lunch or meals at home in Shasta County?

At 60 and older, you can get a hot weekday lunch at four centers run by the Shasta Senior Nutrition Program. The suggested gift is $3 a meal, but no one is turned away, the program says.

If you can't get out, Meals on Wheels brings meals to your door, with a suggested gift of $3.50 a meal (530-226-3073). For free groceries, call Dignity Health Connected Living's food line at (844) 732-1264. Monthly food money comes from CalFresh.

How do I get a ride in Shasta County?

To get a ride in Shasta County, pick the service that fits you.

• RABA buses cost $1 for two hours of rides at 65 and older, with a disability or with a Medicare card. The regular fare is $2.
• RABA Response is a shared van for people whose disability keeps them off the bus. A ride costs $4, or $40 for 10 rides. Ask for the form at (530) 245-7076, and RABA decides within 21 days. Book a day ahead, and up to 14 days ahead, at (530) 241-2877, option 2.
• Connected Living gives rides to the doctor, the store and errands. Call (530) 226-3075 for the schedule.
• Medi-Cal rides take you to covered care. Call Partnership at (866) 828-2303 at least five days before, it says. See Medi-Cal rides in California.

How do I lower my power bill in Shasta County?

Your power discount in Shasta County depends on who sends the bill.

• Redding Electric Utility takes $20 a month off the fixed charge if your income is low. It also takes 35 percent off your first 450 kilowatt hours, and you apply at (530) 225-4578. For a past-due bill, Community Assistance for Redding Electric Service (CARES) can pay up to $300, and it isn't a loan.
• City of Shasta Lake has a Lifeline Rate for electric, water and sewer bills. It's for people 62 and older or with a disability (530-275-7400).
• PG&E customers can ask about CARE at 1-866-743-5832. It takes 30 to 35 percent off electric and 20 percent off gas, the state utility commission says.

For help paying a bill from any of the three, the Self-Help Home Improvement Project runs HEAP. One person can make up to $3,331.66 a month and qualify, and you can get help once every 12 months, it says. Call (530) 378-6900 and press 2, Monday to Thursday. At 62 and older, if Redding may shut off your power, ask Connected Living about Power to Seniors at (530) 223-6034. See utility bill help in California.

How do I get housing help in Shasta County?

In the City of Redding, the Redding Housing Authority's Section 8 waiting list is open, and you apply online, the city says. Older adults, people with disabilities and Redding residents and workers get preference. Since May 1, 2026, one person can make up to $34,000 a year and qualify. Its senior lists for people 62 and older, at Kennett Court, Piper Way and Lowden Lane, are open too. Call (530) 225-4048, or visit City Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.

Elsewhere in the county, the Shasta County Housing Authority's voucher list has been closed since January 31, 2024, it says (530-225-5160). See housing help in California.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In Shasta County, calls to us often start with a Medi-Cal letter and a ride that's hard to find outside Redding.

• Apply for Medi-Cal and IHSS with you, and call HHSA until there's an answer.
• Save your seat at a senior dining center, or start Meals on Wheels.
• Fill out the RABA Response form with you, and book Medi-Cal rides.
• Apply for the Redding Electric Utility discount and HEAP 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 Anderson, Shasta Lake or Burney. Is this my page?

Yes, this page covers Anderson, Shasta Lake, Burney and the rest of Shasta County. Anderson and Burney each have their own HHSA office, and Shasta Lake has its own dining center and power discount. For Chico and Oroville, see Medicare help in Butte County.

Is there adult day care in Redding?

Yes, Dignity Health Connected Living runs adult day services in Redding, with nursing care and activities, at (530) 226-3000. Its caregiver group meets the third Wednesday of each month, with free respite care during the meeting.

I use oxygen at home. Can the power company help?

If you use oxygen or other powered equipment, sign up for Redding Electric Utility's Life Support Program at (530) 339-7200. You get notice before planned outages, the city says, but it doesn't stop a shutoff for an unpaid bill.

What if HHSA denies my Medi-Cal?

If HHSA denies your Medi-Cal, you can ask for a state hearing within 90 days at 1-800-743-8525. The notice gives the reason, so keep it and any letters that came with it.

How do I report abuse of an older adult in Shasta County?

To report abuse of an older adult in Shasta County, call Adult Protective Services at (530) 225-5798, any time of day. If someone is in danger right now, call 911.

Sources

• Contacts and Locations, Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency
• PR: Redding Employment Services Office Reopens at Park Marina Drive, Shasta County
• County IHSS Wage Rates, California Department of Social Services
• Shasta: Services in My County, California Department of Aging
• Health Services (HICAP), PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging
• Contact Us, PSA 2 Area Agency on Aging
• Dining Centers, Shasta Senior Nutrition Program
• Shasta Senior Nutrition Program
• Dignity Health Connected Living, Redding
• Bus Passes and Fares, Redding Area Bus Authority
• RABA Response (Paratransit), Redding Area Bus Authority
• Shasta County, Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Plan Directory, DHCS
• Transportation Services, Partnership HealthPlan of California
• Payment Assistance Programs, City of Redding Utilities
• Rental and Utility Assistance Programs, City of Shasta Lake
• Home Energy Assistance Program, Self-Help Home Improvement Project
• CARE/FERA Program, California Public Utilities Commission
• California Alternate Rates for Energy, PG&E
• Redding Housing Authority, City of Redding
• Contact Us, City of Redding Housing Division
• Waitlist Application and Information, Shasta County Housing and Community Action Programs
• Medicare Savings Programs in California, DHCS
• 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles, CMS