OAM 2026: Meet HICAP Volunteer Counselor, Edward Oddo

We take the time to celebrate Older Americans Month (OAM) every May to recognize older adults and highlight their impact in our community. As 2026’s theme is “Champion Your Health”, this May we will be spotlighting some of the older adults volunteering with our organization who are committed to aging well, healthily, and on their own terms.   

Since 1985, the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) at Sourcewise has served thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and advocates with assistance navigating their Medicare options. HICAP can help with nearly every aspect of the Medicare system, from selecting a new Part D drug plan, filing an appeal, applying for limited income programs that help with Medicare costs, and more. While the day-to-day operations of HICAP are run by full-time staff, the heart of HICAP is absolutely: the individuals who serve as our volunteer counselors. Each HICAP volunteer counselor receives extensive training and commits to a year of service, although many end up volunteering for over a decade.  

One of our Medicare counselors, Edward Oddo, began volunteering with HICAP entirely by chance. Born in the Bronx, New York City, Edward earned both his undergraduate degree and master’s degree before moving to California in 1972. In California, he worked at IBM for 45 years in various capacities, like software application development, planning, and marketing. After a satisfying career, he retired and began to embrace the next stage of his life, focusing on his roles as a husband, father, and grandfather.  

As Edward entered a new season of his life, he found himself plunged into the ecosystem of health insurance as he attempted to assist a relative with a disability apply for Medi-Cal. His relative already had health insurance through a private policy but wanted to transition to receiving coverage via Medi-Cal. Edward was at a loss on how to accomplish this until one of his former IBM colleagues referred him to HICAP. Following an enlightening appointment with a HICAP counselor, Edward was able to get his relative successfully onto Medi-Cal. Through that process, he also discovered a new calling as a HICAP counselor.  

When he had initially joined HICAP, he thought he needed to have all the answers for any Medicare question that a client might have during an appointment. However, as he assisted dozens of clients over the years, he realized that there was always more to learn and that it was okay to tell a client that while he didn’t have the answer during their appointment, he would research it and get back to them.  

Edward recalled a specific client whose case made his work as a HICAP counselor particularly rewarding. A client came to HICAP because she was looking for help moving from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medigap plan due to a potentially terminal cancer diagnosis that required a level of treatment not covered by her existing plan. However, she was in a predicament. She did not qualify for any of the Guaranteed Issue criteria required to move to a Medigap policy, and so she was at a loss for how to proceed.  

Edward had never encountered this unique set of circumstances. Unsure of how to direct the client, he looked for guidance from other HICAP counselors. Together, they concluded that the client’s only option was that her existing Medicare Advantage plan would make changes that would qualify her to become eligible for Guaranteed Issue. Fortunately, the plan enacted the qualifying change and had an associated Medigap plan that she could transition coverage to. The client was able to successfully switch coverage and receive the life-saving treatment that she needed. For Edward, this experience was formative and impactful not only because of how he was able to help the client, but because of the collaboration and support he received from the HICAP staff.  

Edward has been a HICAP volunteer for over 10 years. Of his experience with HICAP and his approach to Medicare counseling he shared:  

“I have found my time as a HICAP counselor very challenging, rewarding, and fun. In my years as a volunteer counselor, my objective has been to not only use Medicare tools, but to help our clients learn how to use Medicare tools themselves. It is very consistent with the old proverb: ‘Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.’” 

For Edward, volunteering with HICAP has not only been a way for him to give back to the community, but a way to stay healthy and active. This Older Americans Month, consider taking inspiration from individuals like Edward who take a proactive approach to aging by staying active, involved in their community, and keeping a mind open and receptive to new ideas.