SHIP: Free Medicare Counselors Near You
There is a free, government-funded Medicare counselor in every state who does not sell anything, and almost no one uses them. This page is the five-minute briefing on the State Health Insurance Assistance Program: what they do, what they cost, and the two ways to reach yours.
free, unbiased, and sells nothing
The SHIP counselor map
Before any Medicare decision, talk to a free SHIP counselor who does not sell insurance: the person across the table should not have a commission riding on the answer.
- What it isA federal program, free and unbiasedThe State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) funds free, unbiased counseling on Medicare and Medicaid in every state and territory: counselors are trained and certified, and they do not sell policies, which is the entire point.
- What they help withPlans, bills, timing, drugs, Medicaid, fraudComparing Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans without a sales pitch, understanding bills and denials including appeal steps, enrollment timing so the parent does not miss a deadline and pay a penalty, Part D drug choices and the coverage gap, Medicaid and extra-help programs the family did not know existed, and fraud and billing errors including how to report them.
- When to callBefore the decisionCall before comparing plans, before open enrollment, and before any agent meeting, so the family walks in knowing the map: the Advantage vs Medigap ledger and the annual review are the preparation.
- The honest ruleFree help never chargesSHIP counseling is free, and the Medicare scam warning applies: anyone charging a fee to "help with Medicare" or "enroll" the parent is running the scam.
The rule, in one sentence: before any Medicare decision, talk to a free SHIP counselor who does not sell insurance.
What SHIP actually is
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federal program, administered in every state and territory, that funds free, unbiased counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. The counselors are trained and certified, and they do not sell policies. That last part is the entire point: when a parent compares Medicare Advantage plans or Medigap policies, the person across the table should not have a commission riding on the answer.
What they can help with
- Comparing Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans without a sales pitch.
- Understanding bills and denials, including appeal steps.
- Medicare enrollment timing, so the parent does not miss a deadline and pay a penalty.
- Drug plan (Part D) choices and the coverage gap.
- Medicaid and extra-help programs the family did not know existed.
- Fraud and billing errors, including how to report them.
Notice the pattern: it is the same list of questions families post in group chats at 11 p.m. SHIP answers them with a human who has no product to sell.
What it costs
Nothing. The counseling is free. That is not a teaser rate: SHIP is funded by the federal government through the Administration for Community Living, and its mandate is unbiased help. If anyone claiming to be SHIP asks for money, that is not SHIP.
How to reach yours
- Use the national SHIP locator at shiphelp.org to find the program in the parent's state, not yours. Medicare rules are federal but plan options are local.
- Call the Area Agency on Aging (Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116) and ask for the SHIP referral. They work together and can also connect you to other free local help.
- Ask for a phone or in-person session. Many states offer both, and some will meet the family at the parent's kitchen table.
- Bring the parent's current plan cards, drug list, and any bills. The counselor needs facts, not anecdotes.
Why families skip it (and should not)
The reasons are always the same: nobody told them it exists, or they assumed it was the same as the insurance agents who call. It is neither. The single highest-leverage move in a parent's Medicare year is one free hour with a SHIP counselor before open enrollment, not after the plan choice is locked in.
Related
- Medicare explained: the base program in plain language.
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: the decision SHIP can walk through.
- Medicare open enrollment: the dates that matter.
- The Area Agency on Aging: the free local hub that refers to SHIP.
Sources
- SHIP National Network: Get Medicare help from your local SHIP program (retrieved August 2026)
- Eldercare Locator (ACL): eldercare.acl.gov (retrieved August 2026)
- Medicare.gov: Get started with Medicare (retrieved August 2026)
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