The State Health Insurance Assistance Program: Trusted Medicare Assistance and Education
Article Publication Date
Summary
Earlier this month, the AARP Public Policy Institute released a fact sheet about the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
SHIP provides free, objective, personalized counseling to help people with Medicare, their families, and caregivers in every state and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. SHIP also offers community outreach during the annual open enrollment period and throughout the year.
Key takeaways from the fact sheet include:
• SHIP services include one-on-one help with enrollment, plan comparisons, appeals, and low-income assistance programs.
• Counseling is delivered by 11,500 paid staff and trained volunteers to ensure cost-effective, community-based support.
• In 2021, SHIPs hosted 36,000 community events, with 5,600 during open enrollment and in 2022 helped more than four million people.
• While Medicare enrollment grew 25 percent over the past decade, SHIP funding increased only 17 percent.
SHIP provides free, objective, personalized counseling to help people with Medicare, their families, and caregivers in every state and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. SHIP also offers community outreach during the annual open enrollment period and throughout the year.
Key takeaways from the fact sheet include:
• SHIP services include one-on-one help with enrollment, plan comparisons, appeals, and low-income assistance programs.
• Counseling is delivered by 11,500 paid staff and trained volunteers to ensure cost-effective, community-based support.
• In 2021, SHIPs hosted 36,000 community events, with 5,600 during open enrollment and in 2022 helped more than four million people.
• While Medicare enrollment grew 25 percent over the past decade, SHIP funding increased only 17 percent.