Three doors, all worth knowing. For free, unbiased counseling on plans and enrollment, the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB), run by the Delaware Department of Insurance, at 1-800-336-9500 (or the national SHIP line at 1-877-839-2675). For local services such as meals, rides, and in-home help, Delaware's Aging & Disability Resource Center serves New Castle at 1-800-223-9074 (or the national Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116). And for one dedicated advocate who does the ongoing work with you, bills, denials, appointments, and benefits, Understood Care, covered by Medicare for most members and usually $0: call (646) 904-4027 or get started online.

Yes. Medicare has paid for professional healthcare navigation (Principal Illness Navigation and Community Health Integration services) since January 2024. Part B covers about 80% and a Medigap plan typically covers the rest, so most members in New Castle County pay $0. We confirm your exact coverage before your first session, and there are no surprise bills.

Per CMS enrollment data for 2025, New Castle County had 115,266 Medicare beneficiaries: 39,005 on Medicare Advantage plans (33.8%) and 76,261 on Original Medicare, with about 16,810 dual-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Understood Care advocates work with both: Original Medicare members usually pay $0 through Part B plus a supplement, and we confirm Medicare Advantage coverage plan by plan before any work begins.

Per the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, about 1,205 of New Castle's 5,519 residents are 65 or older (21.8%), within a county of roughly 95,161 seniors (New Castle County). Most become Medicare-eligible at 65, and every one of them has the same federal benefits an advocate helps put to work.

No. Understood Care is fully virtual, delivered by phone, video, and secure messaging, so it works the same in New Castle as anywhere else in Delaware's three counties. If leaving home is hard, that is exactly the situation the service is built for.

Advocates work virtually and are matched to you, not to a zip code. You get one dedicated advocate with their direct phone, email, and text (One Advocate, For Life), and they work with Delaware's programs, DMAB counseling, the no-asset-test Medicare Savings Programs, the Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP), and the Diamond State Health Plan-Plus long-term-care program, and the county services that apply in New Castle County.

Those are Delaware Medicaid and state programs. Diamond State Health Plan-Plus (DSHP-Plus) is Delaware's managed long-term services and supports program; its Long Term Care Community Services track helps people who meet a nursing-facility level of care stay home with personal care, adult day services, meals, and respite. Because it is an entitlement, there is no waiting list, and its self-direction option can pay the caregiver you choose, including a family member such as an adult child, with a financial management service handling payroll. The Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP) adds up to $3,000 a year toward Part D drug and premium costs for residents at or below 200% of poverty. Delaware also has PACE (PACE Your LIFE) for adults 55+, but only in Kent and Sussex counties. Families we serve in Northern Delaware use these programs. Our advocacy is billed through Medicare, so for dual-eligible families the split works well: you run the caregiving, and your parent's advocate handles the Medicare side.

In Delaware we are in-network for Original Medicare (traditional fee-for-service Medicare); UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans (~37% of Delaware MA members); Aetna Medicare Advantage plans (~12% of Delaware MA members). Together that covers roughly 83.7% of Delaware's Medicare beneficiaries. Market-share data: 2024. Plan networks change, so we confirm exactly what your plan covers before any work begins - no surprise bills.