Alaska Medicare Information Office: Free SHIP Medicare Help (2026)

In Alaska, free Medicare counseling from the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) comes from one place: the Alaska Medicare Information Office, at 1-800-478-6065.1 The Alaska Medicare Information Office says federal grants fund its free, unbiased Medicare education and counseling through three programs: SHIP, the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and the Medicare Improvement for Patients & Providers Act (MIPPA). In Anchorage, the Alaska Medicare Information Office's local number is 907-269-3680.1

In This Guide

• Who Answers at the Alaska Medicare Information Office
• Reaching the Office From Anywhere in Alaska
• What an Alaska Medicare Information Office Counselor Helps With
• A Suspicious Charge or Call: Alaska's Senior Medicare Patrol
• On Medicare Before 65? The Alaska Medigap Problem
• Help Paying Medicare Costs in Alaska
• How Alaska Keeps Medicare Counseling Independent
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Who Answers at the Alaska Medicare Information Office

Alaska's SHIP goes by a different name, which can make it hard to find when someone tells you to "call SHIP." Alaska's 2026 Medigap consumer guide, published by the Division of Insurance and the Alaska Department of Health, says the Medicare Information Office is the state's SHIP and sits within the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services.2 Our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP explains how these programs work nationally; this page is about Alaska's.

Alaska's setup is a single state office. The Alaska Medicare Information Office says its help comes from a small Anchorage staff working with a statewide network of Medicare counselors.1 That network includes volunteers: the office says it recruits and trains SHIP and Senior Medicare Patrol volunteers, and that its volunteers are trained and certified as Medicare counselors.4

That's normal for the program nationwide. The Administration for Community Living, the federal agency that runs SHIP, says SHIP recruits and trains both volunteer and in-kind team members, and that SHIP team members are highly trained and certified to help people obtain coverage.4

Reaching the Office From Anywhere in Alaska

Besides the toll-free and Anchorage numbers above, Alaska's Medigap guide lists a TTY line for the Alaska Medicare Information Office, 800-770-8973.2 The Alaska Medicare Information Office also lists an email address, doh.mio.info@alaska.gov, which can be easier than phone calls when you're coordinating a parent's coverage from another time zone.4

Plan for more than one conversation, especially in the fall. MedPAC, the commission that advises Congress on Medicare, reported in June 2026 that SHIP funding nationally has not kept pace with growth in Medicare enrollment, that SHIP grantees depend on volunteer staff, and that people it interviewed described SHIP counselors facing capacity constraints as call volumes rise.5 The same MedPAC report found that beneficiaries in its focus groups who had used their SHIP reported positive experiences, so a wait is a reason to call early, not a reason to skip it.5

A counselor can do more with paperwork in front of you than with a description of it. Before you call or email, gather:

• Your Medicare card and any plan cards
• A list of prescriptions and doses, if a drug plan is involved
• The letter, bill or notice you're asking about
• Your monthly income and savings, if you're asking about help with costs

What an Alaska Medicare Information Office Counselor Helps With

The Alaska Medicare Information Office offers one-on-one Medicare counseling to people with Medicare and their families.1 Medicare.gov describes what SHIPs do nationally: help people with Medicare and their families choose a plan, review coverage, understand costs, apply for Extra Help, file a complaint or an appeal, and make informed Medicare decisions.1

On enrollment, the Alaska Medicare Information Office says its volunteer counselors are trained to assist with enrollment, plan reviews, and troubleshooting issues that come up.4 Nationally, though, MedPAC found that only some SHIP grantees help enroll beneficiaries in Medicare plans, so ask your counselor directly whether they'll help you submit the enrollment or walk you through doing it yourself.5

Timing matters for plan changes. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and the changes you make then take effect January 1 of the following year.6 Calling the office in October leaves time for a second conversation before December 7. Our Medicare Open Enrollment guide explains what you can change.

A denial is also counselor territory. Medicare's "Medicare Appeals" guide (April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized counseling, including help with appeals.7 The steps and deadlines for each level are in our guide to Medicare appeals.

A Suspicious Charge or Call: Alaska's Senior Medicare Patrol

In Alaska, the Senior Medicare Patrol lives in the same office as SHIP. The Alaska Medicare Information Office's federal grants cover both programs, and its counselors give tips on how to spot and report Medicare fraud, errors and abuse.1 That means a strange charge on a Medicare statement and a question about next year's drug plan go to the same number.

If the problem is a phone call rather than a bill, Medicare.gov's guidance is plain: Medicare will never call you uninvited to ask for personal information, and if someone calls asking for your information or money, or threatens to cancel your benefits, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).8 Our guide to Medicare fraud protection shows what to check on your statements and where to report.

On Medicare Before 65? The Alaska Medigap Problem

This is the Alaska situation where the Medicare Information Office can matter most. Alaska's 2026 Medigap consumer guide says most companies selling Medigap (Medicare supplement) policies in Alaska don't sell them to people under 65 who are on Medicare because of a disability, and that someone under 65 with Part B through disability or end-stage renal disease gets no Medigap open enrollment period until turning 65.2

Alaska's Medigap guide gives a specific next step: contact the Alaska Medicare Information Office for help finding a company. The same guide says the Alaska Comprehensive Health Insurance Association (ACHIA) may be a good fit, and that a person under 65 on Medicare may be eligible for health insurance through ACHIA.2 Medicare's own Medigap guide adds that federal law generally doesn't require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65, and that a person who already has Part B still gets a Medigap open enrollment period at 65.2 Our Alaska Medicare Supplement guide covers the open-enrollment and guaranteed-issue rules in full.

Help Paying Medicare Costs in Alaska

Alaska's Medicare Savings Programs are run by the Alaska Division of Public Assistance, which measures your countable income against the federal poverty level for Alaska, and Medicare.gov's own tables note that income limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii.3 Effective April 1, 2026, the division's monthly income standards are 100% of that poverty level for QMB ($1,663 for one person, $2,255 for two), 120% for SLMB Base, 135% for SLMB Plus ($2,245 for one, $3,044 for two) and 200% for QDWI.3 You may also see $2,265 a month for one person and $3,064 for a couple on the Alaska Department of Health's consumer page: that's the SLMB Plus limit with a $20 monthly income disregard added in, not the cutoff for QMB, the level that also helps with Medicare deductibles and copayments.3 Resources must be under $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple for QMB and SLMB (under $4,000 and $6,000 for QDWI), not counting the home you live in or the car you drive.3

You must be eligible for Medicare Part A to apply, and from October 1, 2026, you must also meet Medicaid's qualified-alien requirements. You apply through your local Public Assistance Office or online through Alaska Connect, and the state works out which program you qualify for, so you don't have to pick a level yourself. QMB, SLMB, SLMB Plus and QDWI enrollees also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically, without a separate application.3 For free, unbiased counseling before you apply, call the Alaska Medicare Information Office at 1-800-478-6065 (907-269-3680 in Anchorage).3 Our guide to Alaska Medicare Savings Programs explains what each level pays, and Extra Help for drug costs is covered in our Extra Help guide.

How Alaska Keeps Medicare Counseling Independent

Federal law sets the baseline. Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, each state's SHIP grant plan must provide assurances that SHIP staff members, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing counseling.9 The Administration for Community Living's conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP programs names anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan as an example of a person with an inherent conflict of interest.9

The Alaska Medicare Information Office states its own rule on top of that. Because of the sensitive nature of the work, the need for objectivity and the possibility of fraud and abuse, the office says its SHIP and SMP volunteers must be screened carefully to avoid a conflict of interest or even a perceived one.4 If you're weighing that against an insurance agent's offer, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how brokers are paid and when one can still be a reasonable choice.

Learn More

Find personalized help sorting out Medicare in Alaska, from a plan choice to a Medigap refusal, at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.