How to Compare Information
Important to your Health Care Decision

» The individual States Insurance Commissions regulate Medicare Advantage and Medigap programs, in part. State agencies have active organizations that provide personal assistance.

» What the Center for Medicare Services says: "Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for help with questions about appeals, buying other insurance, choosing a Medicare health or prescription drug plan, buying a Medigap policy, and Medicare rights and protections. The SHIP program is a State program that gets money from the Federal Government to give free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare."

» See below to find local SHIPs The Benefits Team has added all the numbers in the next section. You can also find their telephone number by visiting www.medicare.gov on the web. Under “Search Tools,” select “Find Helpful Phone Numbers and Websites.” Or, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to get their telephone number.

» BELOW IS A CURRENT LIST OF ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS AND SOME WEB LINKS. Phone numbers and some Web links are included. Many of the State programs have a helpful document that describes state rules and provides a detailed list of current Medigap programs, with more details than the medicare.gov site.

Alabama ::  Alabama Department of Senior Services
1(800) 243-5463  

Web: http://www.alabamaageline.gov/healthcare/

Iowa :: Senior Health Insurance Information Program of Iowa (SHIP)
1(800) 351-4664
Web: http://www.shiip.state.ia.us/ <not always working>

Kansas Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK)
1(800) 860-5260

Web: http://www.agingkansas.org/SHICK/shick_index.html

Kentucky :: Kentucky State Health Insurance Assistance Program
1(877) 293-7447

Web: http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/ship.htm

Louisiana :: Louisiana Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP)
1(800) 259-5301 (In-state calls only) 1(225) 342-5301

Web: http://www.ldi.state.la.us/Health/SHIIP/index.htm

Maine :: Maine State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
1(877) 353-3771 (In-state calls only) 1(207) 621-0087

Web: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oes/hiap/purpose.htm

Maryland :: Maryland Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program
1(800) 243-3425 (In-state calls only)  1(410) 767-1100
Web: http://www.mdoa.state.md.us/senior.html#SeniorHealth

Massachusetts :: Serving Health Information Needs of Elders (SHINE)
1(800) 243-4636
Web: Click here

Michigan :: Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program of Michigan (MMAP)
1(800) 803-7174

Web: http://www.mmapinc.org/

Minnesota :: Minnesota SHIP/Senior LinkAge Line
1(800) 333-2433
Web: http://www.mnaging.org/advisor/SLL_SHIP.htm

Mississippi :: Mississippi Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (MICAP)
1(800) 948-3090

Web: http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/aas_info.html

Missouri :: CLAIM Program of Missouri (SHIP)
1(800) 390-3330
Web: http://www.primaris.org/beneficiaries/medicare_help.asp

Montana :: Senior and Long Term Care Division of Montana
1(800) 551-3191 (In-state calls only)
Web: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/sltc/services/aging/ship.shtml

Nebraska :: Nebraska State Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP)
1(800) 234-7119
Web: http://www.doi.ne.gov/shiip/index.htm

Nevada :: State Health Insurance Advisory Program of Nevada
1(800) 307-4444
Web:  http://nvaging.net/ship/ship_main.htm

New Hampshire :: Health Insurance Counseling Education and Assistance Services (HICEAS)
1(800) 852-3388 (In-state calls only) 1(603) 225-9000
Web: www.nh.gov/servicelink/documents/NH_state_profile.pdf [A PDF version]

New Jersey :: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
1(800) 792-8820   (In-state calls only) 1(877) 222-3737

Web: http://www.state.nj.us/health/senior/ship.shtml

New Mexico :: Benefits Counseling Program, New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Service Department
1(800) 432-2080 (In-state calls only)   1(505) 476-4799

Web: none to recommend

New York :: Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HICAP)
1(800) 701-0501
Web: http://www.aging.ny.gov/HealthBenefits/MedicareIndex.cfm

North Carolina :: North Carolina Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
1(800) 443-9354  1(919) 807-6900

Web: http://www.ncdoi.com/Consumer/SHIIP/SHIIP.asp

North Dakota :: North Dakota Insurance Department
1(888) 575-6611

Web: http://www.nd.gov/ndins/consumer/medicare/

Ohio :: Senior Health Insurance Information Program of Ohio (SHIP)
1(800) 686-1578

Web: http://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Consumer/Pages/ConsumerTab2.aspx

Oklahoma :: Oklahoma Senior Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHICP)
1(800) 763-2828 (In-state calls only) :: 1(405) 521-6628

Web: click here

Oregon :: Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA)
1(800) 722-4134 (In-state calls only) :: 1(503) 378-2014
Web: http://oregonshiba.org/

Pennsylvania :: APPRISE
1(800) 783-7067

Web: http://www.aging.state.pa.us/aging/cwp/view.asp?a=553&q=253802

Rhode Island ::Rhode Island Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
1(401) 462-4444

Web: http://www.dhs.ri.gov/askrhody/ResourceDetail.jsp?language=English&key=32266

South Carolina :: Bureau of Senior Services of South Carolina
1(800) 868-9095
Web: http://www.aging.sc.gov/Seniors/ICARE.htm

South Dakota :: Adult Services and Aging of South Dakota
1(800) 536-8197

Web: http://www.shiine.net/

Tennessee :: Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability
1(877) 801-0044

Web: http://www.state.tn.us/comaging/ship.html

Texas :: Department of Aging and Disabilities Services
1(800) 252-9240
Web: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/consumer/hicap/index.html

Utah :: Aging and Adult Services of Utah
1(800) 541-7735 (In-state calls only) :: 1(801) 538-3910
Web:  http://www.hsdaas.utah.gov/insurance_programs.htm

Vermont :: Area Agency on Aging of Vermont
1(800) 642-5119 (In-state calls only) :: 1(802) 748-5182

Web: http://www.medicarehelpvt.net/

Virginia :: Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP)
1(800) 552-3402
Web: http://www.vda.virginia.gov/vicap2.asp

Washington :: Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors of Washington
1(800) 562-6900

Web: http://www.insurance.wa.gov/shiba/index.shtml  [Mostly phone numbers]

West Virginia :: Bureau of Senior Services of West Virginia
1(877) 987-4463

Web: http://www.wvship.org/

 
Wisconsin :: State Health Insurance Assistance Program of Wisconsin
1(800) 242-1060
Web: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging/SHIP.htm

Wyoming :: State Health Insurance Information Program of Wyoming
1(800) 856-4398

Web: http://www.wyomingseniors.com/WSHIIP.htm