Kentucky SHIP Medicare Help: Free Counseling by County (2026)

Kentucky SHIP Medicare help is free whether you're new to Medicare or calling for a parent: dial the statewide SHIP Hotline at 1-877-293-7447 and choose option 2.1 Kentucky's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives information, counseling and assistance to older Kentuckians and people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, through local, well-trained counselors who charge nothing.1 If your parent lives in another part of the state, the regional agency for their county is in the table below.1

In This Guide

• Who Runs Kentucky's State Health Insurance Assistance Program?
• What Does Kentucky SHIP Do Beyond Comparing Plans?
• How Do You Get Kentucky SHIP Medicare Help?
• Which Kentucky SHIP Office Serves Your County?
• How Do Kentucky SHIP and KPAP Lower Drug and Medicare Costs?
• Can Kentucky SHIP Help You Use the 60-Day Medigap Birthday Rule?
• Is Kentucky SHIP on Your Side?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

Who Runs Kentucky's State Health Insurance Assistance Program?

Kentucky SHIP is the state's free Medicare counseling program and part of the national SHIP network described below. Kentucky SHIP's page sits on the website of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), within the Department for Aging and Independent Living (Kentucky DAIL).1 The counseling is provided at no charge by local, well-trained counselors, and Kentucky SHIP's service area includes all 120 Kentucky counties.1

The program is federally backed. Nationally, the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) manages SHIP through its Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling.1 ACL says SHIP services are delivered by state units on aging or state departments of insurance in partnership with their local area agencies on aging and other community partners.1 That is why Kentucky's help reaches you through both a statewide hotline and regional agencies.

You don't have to be 65. Kentucky SHIP serves seniors and disabled individuals, along with their families and caregivers.1 Our Kentucky 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 nationwide. This page goes deeper into Kentucky SHIP itself.

What Does Kentucky SHIP Do Beyond Comparing Plans?

Kentucky SHIP sets out its own goals on its CHFS page, and they're broader than picking a plan. The page lists four:1

• Educate seniors on health insurance coverage, benefits and consumer rights
• Provide assistance and education one-on-one or through educational forums
• Protect consumers against fraud or misdirected collections
• Empower consumers to make informed health insurance choices

Kentucky SHIP's services are one-on-one counseling by telephone or in person, presentations to community groups, printed educational and informational materials, and referrals to other agencies.1 So a homebound parent can be counseled by phone, and a church group or senior center can ask for a presentation.

On Medicare decisions specifically, ACL says SHIP team members are highly trained and certified to help people obtain coverage through Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) and Medigap.1 Medicare.gov adds that SHIP counseling covers your Medicare rights, billing problems, complaints about your medical care or treatment, how Medicare works with other insurance, and finding help paying for health care costs.1 Bring the question you actually have, whether that's a plan comparison or a bill that doesn't look right.

If the problem is a bill you don't recognize, our guide to Medicare fraud protection explains how Medicare scams work, and Medicare.gov explains how to report Medicare fraud.

How Do You Get Kentucky SHIP Medicare Help?

Kentucky gives you a few doors into the same program. Pick whichever is easiest for you or the person you're helping.

If you're arranging help for a parent, you can make the call yourself. Kentucky SHIP's counseling is offered to families and caregivers as well as to seniors and people with disabilities, so an adult child can call to start the conversation.1

Timing matters if you're changing plans for next year. Medicare's fall Open Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and changes made during it take effect January 1.2 If you want a counselor to compare your options before that window closes, call early enough to leave room for a follow-up call. Our guide to Medicare enrollment periods explains the other windows.

Which Kentucky SHIP Office Serves Your County?

The Kentucky SHIP page on the CHFS website lists 15 regional Area Agencies on Aging and Independent Living, each with the counties it serves and a phone number.1 Find your county, or your parent's county, in the second column.

Four of the regional agencies on the Kentucky SHIP list, Bluegrass, FIVCO, Gateway and Northern Kentucky, share the same number, 866-516-3051.1 The list doesn't give office hours, so if a regional line doesn't connect you, the statewide SHIP Hotline at 1-877-293-7447 (option 2) is the fallback.1

How Do Kentucky SHIP and KPAP Lower Drug and Medicare Costs?

Kentucky SHIP lowers drug and Medicare costs in two ways: by helping you apply for programs that lower Medicare costs, and through a Kentucky prescription partnership.

Nationally, ACL says SHIP helps people with limited income apply for programs such as Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help, which help pay for or reduce health care costs.1 In Kentucky, the Medicare Savings Programs are administered by the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services, and you apply by calling your local Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) office or by sending the Kentucky Medicare Savings Program application to that office.3 Social Security's own manual tells its staff to encourage people to apply even if their income or resources look somewhat higher than the limits, so don't rule yourself out before a counselor has looked.3 The 2026 income and asset limits are in our guide to Kentucky Medicare Savings Programs.

For prescriptions, Kentucky SHIP is a partner site for the Department for Public Health's Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP).1 KPAP helps qualified people reach prescription drug programs offered by drug manufacturers, discount programs and discount pharmacy programs, and through the partnership Kentucky SHIP helps those who qualify, and their families, get available prescription drugs for free or at reduced cost.1

Who qualifies for KPAP help depends on the drug company. KPAP says eligibility is set by criteria that differ among the participating pharmaceutical companies, which can include your current health insurance coverage and your household income.4 KPAP staff will look up your medications and tell you which programs are available, and if your income or resources rule you out of the existing drug assistance programs, KPAP will point you to other options for low-cost prescriptions.4 To reach KPAP directly, call the KPAP Hotline at 1-800-633-8100, open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM Eastern.4 Federal Extra Help with Part D costs is explained in our guide to Extra Help with Medicare drug costs.

Can Kentucky SHIP Help You Use the 60-Day Medigap Birthday Rule?

Yes, and it can help with a Medicare appeal too. Kentucky's Medigap rules make a call worth it before your birthday.

Kentucky has a Medigap "birthday rule." If you already have a Medicare Supplement policy, Kentucky law gives you a 60-day guaranteed issue period each year beginning on your birthday to buy the same plan from a different insurer, and during it the insurer can't deny you, price you differently or exclude a preexisting condition because of your health.5 Kentucky's Medigap birthday-rule switch covers the same plan letter only, reaches only plans the insurer offers to new enrollees, and premiums still vary from company to company.5 A Kentucky SHIP counselor can help you compare, and the Kentucky Department of Insurance, which must approve all Medigap rates and rate increases before insurers use them, can be reached at 502-564-3630.5 The full rules are in our Kentucky Medigap birthday rule guide.

For appeals, Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals.6 Appeal levels and deadlines are covered in our guide to Medicare appeals.

Is Kentucky SHIP on Your Side?

Kentucky SHIP states its position plainly on its CHFS page: "SHIP does not sell any health insurance products."1 Medicare.gov describes SHIPs in every state the same way: state programs that get federal money to give local health insurance counseling, not connected to any insurance company or health plan.1

Federal law adds a rule about the people who counsel you. Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, each state's SHIP grant plan must provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing the counseling.7 ACL's conflict-of-interest resource gives one example of a person with an inherent conflict: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans.7 If you're weighing a SHIP counselor against a licensed agent, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

Learn More

Find personalized help getting free Kentucky 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.