Arkansas SHIIP: Free Medicare Help, Phone and Local Partners (2026)

Arkansas SHIIP connects Medicare-eligible Arkansans and their families with certified counselors who help, free and one on one, by phone or in person.1 AR SHIIP, the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, is Arkansas's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) runs it.1 AR SHIIP counselors cover Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement plans and Part D drug coverage.1 If a pharmacist, a doctor's office or a friend told you to "call SHIIP," here is how to reach a counselor and what to bring up once you do.

In This Guide

• What Happens When You Call AR SHIIP
• Finding an Arkansas SHIIP Partner in Your County
• Why It Matters That AR SHIIP Sits at the Insurance Department
• Getting Help Paying for Medicare in Arkansas
• Other Problems an AR SHIIP Counselor Can Take On
• Is Anyone Trying to Sell You Something?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

What Happens When You Call AR SHIIP

AR SHIIP is built around one statewide line that leads to someone local: the toll-free number connects you with certified Medicare counselors in your area.2 Because the match is by area, say early in the call where the person on Medicare lives, which matters when you're calling for a parent in another county. If sitting down face to face would be easier for them, say that too.

You'll get more out of that counselor if you gather a few things before the conversation. Have your Medicare card, the name of any plan you have now, and a list of every prescription with its dose. If you're calling about a letter, such as a plan's notice or a denial, keep it in front of you too. A drug-plan comparison goes much faster when the counselor isn't waiting on you to find a bottle.

Plan on more than one try in busy months. In its June 2026 report, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) says SHIP funding hasn't kept pace with growth in Medicare enrollment and that counselors face capacity constraints as call volumes have risen.3 If you can't get through on the statewide line, the partner map in the next section is the other door. For a quick question about Original Medicare or a claim, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.4

Finding an Arkansas SHIIP Partner in Your County

The second way into Arkansas SHIIP is local. AID's "What is AR SHIIP?" brochure says AR SHIIP partners with local agencies in your area and provides Medicare-certified counselors who are available in person or over the phone to discuss your Medicare benefits, coverage, appeals and complaints.2 To find those partners, AID's SHIIP Partner Map lets you select your region or your county and see the AR SHIIP partners listed for it.2

Many of the listings are regional organizations named AAA, such as AAA Northwest and AAA Southeast, and they sit alongside other local organizations.2 That fits how SHIP works nationally: the program is delivered by state units on aging or state departments of insurance, in partnership with local area agencies on aging and other community-based partners.1 The Administration for Community Living, the federal agency that manages SHIP, describes the counselors as a mix of staff, in-kind professionals and volunteers who are highly trained and certified.1

The partner route makes the most sense when an in-person meeting matters. An adult child in Little Rock arranging help for a parent in Baxter County, for example, can look up Baxter County on the map and contact the partner listed there, rather than trying to explain the parent's medications over a long-distance call. Bring the same card, plan name and drug list you'd have ready for a phone call.

Why It Matters That AR SHIIP Sits at the Insurance Department

In Arkansas, the department that runs SHIIP also writes the state's Medigap (Medicare Supplement) rules, and three of those rules are worth knowing before you shop.

The first is the six-month window. Under Arkansas Insurance Department rule 23 CAR § 89-113, an insurer can't deny or condition a Medigap policy, or charge more, because of your health if you apply before or during the six months that start with the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.5 Medicare's own guide says this Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time window that doesn't repeat every year.5

The second is guaranteed issue after you lose other coverage. Arkansas rule 23 CAR § 89-114 bars an insurer from denying a covered Medigap policy to an eligible person, for example someone whose employer plan ends, whose Medicare Advantage plan leaves their area, or who dropped Medigap to try Medicare Advantage for the first time and leaves within 12 months.5 For someone whose employer plan ends, the Arkansas guaranteed-issue window closes 63 days after the later of the notice date or the date coverage stops, so keep the letter or notice that shows your coverage ended.5 If you think you fit one of those categories and an insurer turns you down anyway, AID's 2026 Quick Guide tells you to contact Arkansas SHIIP at 1-800-224-6330 or insurance.shiip@arkansas.gov.2 Our guide to Medigap in Arkansas lays out every category.

The third protects people under 65. Arkansas rule 23 CAR § 89-127 requires an insurer to make at least one of the standardized Medigap plans it sells available to applicants who have Medicare by reason of disability, without health underwriting, if they apply within six months of first enrolling in Part B.5 Federal law generally doesn't require insurers to sell Medigap to people under 65, so this Arkansas rule is what opens the door.5 That's a good question to take to an AR SHIIP counselor before you apply, because the timing is tight.

Getting Help Paying for Medicare in Arkansas

AR SHIIP publishes its own guides to the Medicare Savings Program and to Extra Help, and AR SHIIP and its partners screen people to see whether they qualify for Extra Help with drug costs.1 The Medicare Savings Programs themselves are run by the Arkansas DHS (Department of Human Services) Division of County Operations, and you apply at your local DHS county office.6 Here are the 2026 Arkansas income limits, which already include the $20 monthly general income disregard:6

For all three Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs, the 2026 resource limit is the federal standard of $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a couple.6 Some Arkansas DHS charts still show older, lower resource figures, so if you're close to the line, confirm the current number with your DHS county office.6 Don't rule yourself out if you're a little over, either: Social Security's guidance tells staff to encourage people to apply even when their income or resources look somewhat higher than the limits.6 Our guide to Arkansas Medicare Savings Programs covers each tier, and our Extra Help guide covers the drug-cost side.

Federal sources list the Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help among the programs SHIP helps people with limited income apply for.1 An AR SHIIP counselor is a reasonable first stop before you fill out either application.

Other Problems an AR SHIIP Counselor Can Take On

Comparing plans gets most of the attention, but SHIP counseling reaches further. Medicare.gov lists the Medicare questions SHIPs help with: your Medicare rights, billing problems, complaints about your medical care or treatment, plan choices, how Medicare works with other insurance, and finding help paying for health care costs.1

• A denial you want to fight. Medicare's April 2026 guide "Medicare Appeals" tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized counseling, including help with appeals.7 The appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals.
• A long-term care insurance question. Federal law lists information regarding long-term care insurance among the counseling a state's SHIP program must provide.8 Expect information and a place to ask questions, not a legal review of your policy.
• Signing up, not just comparing. Nationally, SHIP team members are trained to help people obtain coverage through Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap, but MedPAC reports that only some SHIP grantees help enroll beneficiaries in plans.1,3 Ask AR SHIIP at the start of the call whether it will help you enroll or help you decide and leave the enrollment to you.

Timing still decides what you can change. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and changes made then take effect January 1.9 Calling AR SHIIP in October leaves room for a follow-up conversation before the deadline. Our Medicare enrollment periods guide covers the other windows.

Is Anyone Trying to Sell You Something?

AID's own brochure describes Arkansas SHIIP as offering "Free, unbiased, confidential one-on-one counseling and assistance," and federal law backs up the unbiased part.2 Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, each state's SHIP grant plan must assure that SHIP staff, including volunteers, have no conflict of interest in providing the counseling.8 ACL's conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP names anyone who is paid for enrolling people in a specific insurance plan as an example of someone with an inherent conflict.8

That's the real difference between an AR SHIIP counselor and an insurance agent. An agent can still be the right call for some people, especially once you know which plan you want, and our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

Learn More

Find personalized help getting free Arkansas SHIIP counseling on a plan, cost or Medigap question 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.