If you're facing a Medicare plan decision in Colorado, or helping a parent with one, free Colorado SHIP Medicare counseling is a phone call away at 1-888-696-7213. Colorado's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (Colorado SHIP), housed within the Colorado Division of Insurance, gives people with Medicare free, unbiased and individualized information. The Division's Medigap guide states that Colorado SHIP counselors do not sell or promote any health insurance, so the person on the phone has nothing to sell you.

In This Guide

What Is Colorado SHIP, and Is It Really Free?

Colorado SHIP is Colorado's piece of the national State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) network. The Colorado Division of Insurance's Senior Health Care and Medicare Assistance page says the State Health Insurance Assistance Program helps Medicare enrollees with the Medicare system and provides free, unbiased and individualized information. Colorado SHIP is housed within the Colorado Division of Insurance, the same agency that takes written complaints about current Medigap policies.,

Yes, Colorado SHIP is free, and that matters when you're not sure whose interests a caller has in mind. The Colorado Division of Insurance's Medigap guide describes Colorado SHIP's help as free, detailed and personal, and it states that SHIP counselors do not sell or promote any health insurance.

Some of what you'll read about SHIPs describes the national program rather than Colorado's own pages. Nationally, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) says SHIP is a national program of ACL, that a certified counselor gives one-on-one guidance based on your situation, and that SHIP is not paid per enrollment. ACL also notes that, depending on your area, you may know your local SHIP by another name. In Colorado, the Division's pages use the name "Colorado SHIP," so that's the name to ask for.

Our Colorado Medicare plans and coverage guide covers costs and plan choices across the state, and our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP explains how SHIPs work everywhere. This page goes deeper into Colorado SHIP's own routes.

How Do You Reach Colorado SHIP Medicare Counseling?

You can reach Colorado SHIP by phone, through a Spanish-language line, or through local locations around the state.

Route Contact What the Division's page says
Colorado SHIP phone 1-888-696-7213 Listed as the SHIP phone on the Division's Senior Health Care page
Colorado SHIP in Spanish 866-665-9668 Colorado SHIP can help with Medicare questions in Spanish, at no charge
Local SHIP locations County-by-county list on the Division's page Colorado SHIP has 17 local locations at partner agencies around the state

If you'd rather speak Spanish, or you're calling for a parent who does, Colorado SHIP's Spanish-language line at 866-665-9668 takes Medicare questions in Spanish at no charge.

For help closer to home, Colorado SHIP has 17 local locations at partner agencies around the state, and the Colorado Division of Insurance's Senior Health Care page links a county-by-county list of SHIP assistance and locations.

When Should You Call Colorado SHIP?

The Colorado Division of Insurance's 2026 Part D guide, "Medicare Drug Insurance and You," names specific moments when it sends readers to Colorado SHIP. These are the questions the Division itself expects a Colorado SHIP counselor to handle.

Your question Where the Division's 2026 Part D guide points you
When to enroll in Medicare Parts A, B and D 1-800-MEDICARE or Colorado SHIP
When to take action and what time limits may apply to you 1-800-MEDICARE or Colorado SHIP
Comparing Part D drug plans 1-800-MEDICARE or Colorado SHIP
Getting an exception to a drug plan's restriction The drug plan's exception process, or a SHIP counselor for help
The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) Colorado SHIP or your local County Department of Human Services
Whether a manufacturer offers help with your prescription costs medicare.gov/pharmaceutical-assistance-program or Colorado SHIP

Deadlines. To get reliable information for your own situation, including when to take action and what time limits may apply to you, call 1-800-MEDICARE or Colorado SHIP. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 each year, and changes made during Open Enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year. A Colorado SHIP counselor is a good first stop well before December 7, the last day of Medicare Open Enrollment. Our guide to Medicare Open Enrollment explains what you can change during that window.

Comparing drug plans. For questions or more help comparing Medicare Part D plans, call 1-800-MEDICARE or Colorado SHIP. Our guide to Medicare Part D explains how drug plans are built, and a Colorado SHIP counselor can help you weigh the plans against your own prescriptions.

A drug your plan restricts. There is a process to seek an exception to a drug restriction from your Part D drug plan, and you can ask a Colorado SHIP counselor for assistance with it.

Help paying Medicare costs. For more information about the Medicare Savings Programs, contact Colorado SHIP or your local County Department of Human Services. Our guide to Colorado Medicare Savings Programs covers the program's rules and how to apply. Our guides to Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help with drug costs explain the national programs, and the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Extra Help page is the official reference for the drug-cost subsidy.

For SHIPs nationally, ACL says SHIP can help whether you're new to Medicare, reviewing Medicare plan options, or have questions on how to use your Medicare, and it lists how to enroll, plan comparison, and paying for Medicare and prescriptions among the topics SHIP helps with.

Can Colorado SHIP Help You Choose a Medigap Policy?

Yes. The Colorado Division of Insurance's Medigap guide, "Medicare Supplement Insurance Policies in Colorado" (September 2025), offers free, detailed and personal assistance from the Colorado SHIP program for questions about Medigap policies or any other Medicare question. The same guide includes monthly premium examples by company for ZIP code 80202, drawn from the Colorado Division of Insurance's spring 2025 survey, which gives you a starting point for comparing prices before you talk with a Colorado SHIP counselor.

Timing matters with Medigap, because some rights to buy a policy apply only in certain situations. Nationally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guide "Choosing a Medigap Policy" tells people to call their State Health Insurance Assistance Program to make sure they qualify for a guaranteed issue right, and to call their State Insurance Department if they're denied Medigap coverage in one of those situations. In Colorado, both Colorado SHIP and the office that takes Medigap complaints sit within the Colorado Division of Insurance., Our Colorado Medicare Supplement guide walks through Colorado's Medigap rules and enrollment windows in detail.

A Colorado SHIP counselor can explain your options, but a dispute with an insurer is a different route. If you're having problems with a current Medigap policy, contact the Colorado Division of Insurance to file a complaint at 303-894-7490 or insurance@dora.state.co.us, and put it in writing, because the Division's Medigap guide states that complaints must be in writing.

What Should You Do About Suspected Medicare Fraud or a Billing Error in Colorado?

Suspected Medicare fraud goes to the Colorado Senior Medicare Patrol, a separate program administered by the Colorado Division of Insurance, which also houses Colorado SHIP., The Colorado Division of Insurance says the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) empowers and assists Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to prevent, detect and report health care fraud, errors and abuse. Advice from the Colorado Senior Medicare Patrol is free, confidential and objective. SMPs are grant-funded projects of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living.

If you think a company, agent or health care provider is acting improperly, call the Colorado SMP Medicare fraud line at 1-800-503-5190.

A possible error on a Medicare bill. For a Medicare bill that looks wrong, contact the health care provider or the company that paid the bill first. If the provider or the paying company doesn't resolve a Medicare billing issue, contact the Colorado Senior Medicare Patrol.

A caller selling a Medicare plan. If someone calls you to sell a Medicare plan, ask for the caller's name, company name and callback number, so you can call back later to verify the source and the offer. The Colorado Division of Insurance's SMP page notes that a real company will give you time to think and verify, so pressure to decide on the spot is a reason to hang up and check.

Our guide to Medicare fraud protection explains common scams, and Medicare.gov's page on reporting Medicare fraud covers the federal route.

How Do You Prepare for a Colorado SHIP Medicare Counseling Session?

A little preparation turns a Colorado SHIP call into a working session on your actual plan options. The Colorado Division of Insurance's Senior Health Care page links a Medicare Plan Finder worksheet and says that once you complete the worksheet, you can talk with a SHIP counselor. Filling out the Medicare Plan Finder worksheet before a Colorado SHIP call means the counselor can spend the time on your choices instead of gathering basics.

If you want a second source of help, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line, operated by CMS, and TTY (text telephone) users call 1-877-486-2048. Medicare.gov says callers to 1-800-MEDICARE can talk or live chat with a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. For a problem with a specific Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, CMS directs beneficiaries to call their plan first, using the phone number on their member ID card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Colorado SHIP the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

No. 1-800-MEDICARE is the official Medicare contact line operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, while Colorado SHIP is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program housed within the Colorado Division of Insurance., The Colorado Division of Insurance's 2026 Part D guide lists 1-800-MEDICARE and Colorado SHIP side by side for enrollment timelines and Part D plan comparisons, so either one is a reasonable place to start with those questions.

Can a SHIP counselor help me appeal a Medicare decision?

Yes, according to Medicare's national appeals guide. Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide (April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. Appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals.

Can my SHIP counselor also be an insurance agent?

A SHIP counselor isn't supposed to have a stake in which plan you pick. Federal law (42 U.S.C. 1395b-4) requires each state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that SHIP staff members, including volunteers, have no conflict of interest in providing counseling. ACL's national conflict-of-interest resource gives one example of a person with an inherent conflict of interest: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans. Our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each is paid.

I missed my first chance to sign up for Part B. Can Colorado SHIP help?

Yes, enrollment timing is one of the topics the Colorado Division of Insurance's 2026 Part D guide sends to Colorado SHIP, including the timelines for enrolling in Medicare Parts A, B and D. Nationally, people who missed their Initial Enrollment Period can sign up during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31 each year, with coverage starting the month after they sign up. A person signing up during the General Enrollment Period might pay a monthly late enrollment penalty if they don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, which is a good reason to ask a Colorado SHIP counselor which window applies.

How do I find a SHIP if my parent lives outside Colorado?

Medicare's "Medicare Appeals" guide says you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the phone number for the SHIP in any state.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in ColoradoMedicare in Colorado for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, MSP via HCPF, and free SHIP counseling at the Division of Insurance. MedicareFree Medicare Counseling Through Your SHIPSHIP gives free Medicare counseling. Federal law requires its counselors to have no conflict of interest, and ACL bars licensed insurance agents. Find yours. MedicareColorado Medicare Supplement GuideColorado Medigap rules from Regulation 4-3-1: the six-month open enrollment window, the under-65 right, guaranteed-issue windows and free Colorado SHIP help. MedicaidColorado Medicare Savings ProgramsColorado Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income and resource limits, what each pays, and how to apply through Health First Colorado. MedicareSHIP Counselor vs. Medicare BrokerA SHIP counselor and a Medicare broker are both free to you, but one is paid by the government and one by the insurer. See who pays each and when to use which. MedicareMedicare Fraud ProtectionProtect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams. How to guard your Medicare Number, spot common scams, check your statements, and report fraud fast.

For free, unbiased Medicare help, call Colorado SHIP at 1-888-696-7213, or 866-665-9668 for help in Spanish.

Find personalized help getting free Colorado SHIP Medicare counseling 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.

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