If someone told you or a parent to "call GeorgiaCares," the number is 1-866-552-4464, option 4, where a certified Georgia SHIP counselor answers Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Georgia SHIP program, which the Georgia Department of Human Services directory lists as GeorgiaCares SHIP, is Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, administered through the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services, and it gives free, unbiased information and assistance on health and drug plans to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers.,

In This Guide

What Is Georgia SHIP, and Is It the Same as GeorgiaCares?

Georgia SHIP and GeorgiaCares are the same program under two names., Georgia SHIP, which the Georgia Department of Human Services directory lists as GeorgiaCares SHIP, is Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), administered through the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services., The Division's current volunteer page uses the name Georgia SHIP when it says Georgia SHIP provides personalized counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families.

The GeorgiaCares name has a long history. The Division of Aging Services' Access to Services Manual (section 3010, Georgia SHIP Overview) says that in its early years Georgia's Medicare counseling program was named HICARE, short for Health Insurance Counseling, Assistance and Referral for the Elderly. The same Georgia manual's program history table records, in its 1999 row, that on July 1 HICARE was expanded and renamed GeorgiaCares. The Georgia manual's section 3010 also says Georgia SHIP is a program of the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services.

The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) says, of SHIPs nationally, that depending on your area you may know your local SHIP by another name, but the support it provides is the same. Nationally, ACL describes SHIP as a national program that offers one-on-one assistance, counseling and education to Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to help them make informed decisions about their care and benefits.

Our Georgia Medicare plans and coverage guide gives Georgia SHIP one short section alongside costs and plan choices. This page goes further: the full list of problems a Georgia SHIP counselor takes on, both ways to ask for help, what to do for a parent, and what Georgia SHIP will not do. For how SHIPs work across the country, see our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

What Can a Georgia SHIP Counselor Help You With?

A Georgia SHIP counselor helps with more than picking a plan once a year. The Division of Aging Services' Georgia SHIP page lists these services for people on Medicare:

  • Understand your health plan choices
  • Enroll in a Medicare plan that meets your needs
  • Review Medicare Summary Notices
  • Sort through medical bills and get help filing Medicare claims and appeals
  • Apply for financial assistance programs that reduce Medicare out-of-pocket expenses

The Division of Aging Services' Georgia SHIP page also says local Georgia SHIP assistance is available for health insurance related issues, including Medicare, prescription drug assistance, financial assistance programs and long-term care insurance. The Georgia SHIP page's Quick Facts add that Georgia SHIP certified counselors can help people with Medicare review Explanation of Benefits statements, and that Georgia SHIP provides non-biased opinions. If your question is about a long-term care insurance policy, our guide to long-term care insurance gives background before you bring it to a Georgia SHIP counselor.

What topics does the Georgia SHIP request form list?

The Division's online Request for Medicare Assistance form asks what help you need, and the topics the Georgia form lists include the nine below. Each is paired with a Brevy guide that gives background before you talk to a counselor.

Topic listed on the Georgia SHIP form Background reading on Brevy
New to Medicare Free Medicare counseling through your SHIP
Select a Medicare health and/or drug plan Medicare Open Enrollment
Select a Medigap (Medicare Supplement Plan) Georgia Medicare Supplement guide
Medicare and Employer Health Plan Working past 65 with Medicare
Medicare and Veterans Administration (VA) Benefits VA benefits and Medicare
Paying for prescription medications Extra Help with drug costs
Durable Medical Equipment (walkers, wheelchairs, canes) Medicare and durable medical equipment
Medicare Preventative Services (Annual Wellness Visit) The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit
Medicare Appeals and Grievances Medicare appeals

The Georgia SHIP form's topic list tracks what ACL says SHIPs do nationally. ACL lists understanding your choices, how to enroll, plan comparison, coverage and costs, paying for Medicare and prescriptions, troubleshooting billing issues, submitting appeals and referral to other resources among what SHIP is there to help with, and ACL says SHIP isn't just for people new to Medicare. ACL also says that when you contact your local SHIP, a certified counselor will give you one-on-one guidance based on your unique situation and needs.

When is the best time to call Georgia SHIP about your plan?

Georgia SHIP's phone line is open on weekdays all year, and one stretch of the year matters most for plan choices. ACL says it is important to review your Medicare plan every year during Open Enrollment, which ACL dates October 15 through December 7. A Georgia SHIP counselor can help you understand your health plan choices and enroll in a Medicare plan that meets your needs, according to the Division's Georgia SHIP page.

Can a Georgia SHIP counselor help with a bill, a claim or an appeal?

Yes, billing problems and appeals are on the Division's own list. The Division of Aging Services' Georgia SHIP page says a Georgia SHIP counselor can review Medicare Summary Notices, sort through medical bills and assist in filing Medicare claims and appeals. Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide (a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publication, Product No. 11525, April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. Nationally, ACL says that with your permission, SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf. The appeal levels and their deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals, and if a charge looks like fraud rather than a mistake, our guide to Medicare fraud protection explains how to report it.

How Do You Get Help From Georgia SHIP?

Georgia SHIP has two front doors: a phone line and an online form. Here is how each one works, based on the Division of Aging Services' pages.

1
Step 1

Call the Georgia SHIP line

To speak to a certified Georgia SHIP counselor, call 1-866-552-4464 and select option 4, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

2
Step 2

Or send the online request form

The Division's Request for Medicare Assistance form asks for your relationship to the Medicare beneficiary and what assistance you need, from a list of topics such as New to Medicare, Medigap, VA benefits and appeals.

3
Step 3

Give the beneficiary's location if you're helping someone

The Georgia SHIP request form says that if you are helping someone who lives in Georgia, include the Medicare beneficiary's name, zip code and county of residence.

4
Step 4

Leave out sensitive numbers

The Georgia SHIP request form says, "Do not include your Medicare, Social Security Number or Date of Birth."

Before you call or write to Georgia SHIP, it can help to have your paperwork at hand, such as a Medicare Summary Notice, an Explanation of Benefits statement or a confusing bill, since the Division lists reviewing those documents among Georgia SHIP's services.,

Can You Get Help for a Parent, Including One Who Lives Outside Georgia?

Yes, Georgia SHIP is set up for family members and other helpers, not just the person on Medicare. The Division says Georgia SHIP provides free, unbiased information and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. The Georgia SHIP Request for Medicare Assistance form asks for the requester's relationship to the Medicare beneficiary, with options including self, spouse/partner, caregiver, relative and facility staff.

For the Georgia SHIP request form, the state your parent lives in is what matters. An adult child in another state whose father lives in Georgia can use the Georgia SHIP request form, because the form says that if you are helping someone who lives in Georgia, you should include the Medicare beneficiary's name, zip code and county of residence. If the Medicare beneficiary does not live in Georgia, the Georgia SHIP request form says to contact the SHIP in the beneficiary's own state at shiphelp.org.

Medicare gives the same route to any state's SHIP. CMS's "Medicare Appeals" guide says that to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state, you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line, operated by CMS, and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048.

Can the Georgia SHIP Program Help You Pay for Medicare?

Georgia SHIP can help you apply for programs that lower Medicare costs. The Division of Aging Services' Medicare financial assistance page says that if you have Medicare and limited income and resources, you may qualify for financial assistance programs such as Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy) and Medicare Savings Programs.

The Division of Aging Services' Medicare financial assistance page says Medicare Savings Programs help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare out-of-pocket expenses such as premiums, deductibles and copayments. The Division names the available Medicare Savings Programs as Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI-1).

To apply for Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program, the Division of Aging Services says to contact a certified Georgia SHIP counselor for application assistance on the Georgia SHIP line, 1-866-552-4464, option 4. This guide doesn't list the income and resource limits. Georgia's limits and how to apply are in our guide to Georgia Medicare Savings Programs, the national rules are in our guide to Medicare Savings Programs, and prescription help is in our guide to Extra Help.

What Will Georgia SHIP Not Do?

Georgia SHIP has no insurance to sell you. The Division of Aging Services says Georgia SHIP is not affiliated with any insurance company and does not sell or solicit any type of insurance. Georgia's own bar on licensed insurance agents as volunteers is covered in the volunteer section below.

Georgia SHIP's separation from insurance sales has a federal basis. Federal law at 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4 requires each state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, of the health insurance counseling program have no conflict of interest in providing that counseling. ACL's conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) programs says SHIP volunteers do not promote any personal or business interest while undertaking their SHIP assignment. ACL's conflict-of-interest resource names anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans as one example of a person with an inherent conflict of interest. What that means when you sit down with a SHIP volunteer: ACL's policy says no person with a conflict of interest may serve as a SHIP volunteer, so the volunteer helping you compare plans should not be someone who is paid for enrolling people in one of those plans.

How SHIPs are paid matters too. Nationally, ACL says SHIP is supported through state and federal partnerships that are not reimbursed by private health insurance plans or entities, and that SHIP is not paid per enrollment. If you're weighing a Georgia SHIP counselor against a licensed agent or broker, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

How Can You Volunteer With Georgia SHIP?

Georgia SHIP takes volunteers through an online form. The Division of Aging Services' Georgia SHIP Volunteer Request Form says that as a Georgia SHIP volunteer, you can make a difference in the lives of seniors throughout Georgia. The Georgia SHIP volunteer form says Medicare training and certification are provided to Georgia SHIP volunteers. The Georgia SHIP volunteer form also says licensed insurance agents are unable to volunteer with Georgia SHIP.

Nationally, ACL says SHIP counselors are members of the local community who have been screened, trained and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Georgia SHIP free?

Yes, the Division of Aging Services lists Georgia SHIP counseling as free. Federal money is part of the reason: Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide defines a SHIP as a state program that gets money from the federal government to give free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare.

Is GeorgiaCares still around?

Yes. The Division of Aging Services describes Georgia SHIP as the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, the Georgia Department of Human Services directory still lists GeorgiaCares SHIP under that Division, and a certified Georgia SHIP counselor answers at 1-866-552-4464 (select option 4), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Division's current Georgia SHIP volunteer page uses the Georgia SHIP name. GeorgiaCares is the name Georgia gave its Medicare counseling program on July 1, 1999, when the earlier HICARE program was expanded and renamed, according to the Division's Access to Services Manual.

Can I ask Georgia SHIP for help online instead of calling?

Yes. The Division of Aging Services' Request for Medicare Assistance form is the written alternative to the phone line: you pick the kind of help you need from the form's topics and say how you are related to the person on Medicare. The Georgia SHIP form tells requesters not to include a Medicare number, Social Security Number or date of birth.

Will a Georgia SHIP counselor help with Medicare and VA benefits together?

Yes, it's one of the listed topics. The Division's Georgia SHIP Request for Medicare Assistance form includes "Medicare and Veterans Administration (VA) Benefits" among the kinds of assistance a requester can ask for. How U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care and Medicare fit together is covered in our guide to VA benefits and Medicare.

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

No, Georgia SHIP and 1-800-MEDICARE are two different phone lines. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line, operated by CMS, and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048. Georgia SHIP is Georgia's free Medicare counseling program with its own number, 1-866-552-4464, option 4.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in GeorgiaMedicare in Georgia for 2026: Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap rules, and the programs that help pay your Medicare costs. 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. 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. MedicareGeorgia Medicare Supplement GuideGeorgia requires insurers to offer Medigap below 65 and bars attained-age pricing on newer policies. Plan G vs N, when you can buy, and who to call for help. MedicaidGeorgia Medicare Savings ProgramsGeorgia Medicare Savings Programs in 2026: how QMB, SLMB, QI, and QDWI pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing, the income and asset limits, and how to apply. MedicareMedicare Open EnrollmentMedicare open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. What you can change depends on your coverage now, and doing nothing keeps your plan for January 1.

Find personalized help getting free Georgia SHIP Medicare counseling for yourself or a parent 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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