Maryland SHIP: Free Medicare Counseling by County (2026)

If you've been told to "call SHIP" about a Medicare decision in Maryland, the counseling is free and one phone call away.1 Maryland SHIP is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) of the Maryland Department of Aging (MDOA), and its certified counselors give free, unbiased, one-on-one help with Medicare.1 Call the Maryland SHIP office for your county, listed in the table below, or the Maryland Department of Aging's toll-free line at 800-243-3425.1 A Maryland SHIP counselor can help with a parent's plan change, a missed enrollment window or a Medicare bill that looks wrong.1

In This Guide

• What Is Maryland SHIP?
• How Do You Reach Maryland SHIP in Your County?
• What Can a Maryland SHIP Counselor Help With?
• Can Maryland SHIP Help You Pay Less for Medicare?
• How Does Maryland SHIP Help With Appeals, Billing Errors and Fraud?
• What Won't a Maryland SHIP Counselor Do?
• How Can You Volunteer With Maryland SHIP?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

What Is Maryland SHIP?

Maryland SHIP is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program that the Maryland Department of Aging features in the Medicare Support section of its website.1 Maryland SHIP offers free, unbiased and expert guidance on Medicare, with certified counselors providing one-on-one assistance tailored to your needs.1 MDOA also points out that, with offices throughout Maryland, SHIP understands the plans available in your area.1 For a family in Hagerstown or Salisbury, that local knowledge is the point: the plan choices a counselor walks you through are the ones sold where your parent actually lives.

Maryland's program is one piece of a national network. The Administration for Community Living (ACL), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, describes SHIP as its national program with offices across the country, calls it "your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program," and notes that depending on your area you may know your local SHIP by another name.1 In Maryland, the name to look for is simply SHIP, at the Maryland Department of Aging.

Our guide to Medicare plans and coverage in Maryland covers the wider state picture, and our explainer on free Medicare counseling through SHIP covers how SHIPs work across the country. This page goes further into Maryland SHIP itself: every county's number, what counselors do, and where the help stops.

How Do You Reach Maryland SHIP in Your County?

Maryland's 19 State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offices provide one-on-one assistance and community education on Medicare, on savings programs, and on ways to prevent, detect and report fraud.1 Calls to a Maryland SHIP office are free and confidential, and your local office connects you with trained SHIP, Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and Medicare Savings (MIPPA) counselors.1

Under "Connect with a Medicare Counselor," MDOA's SHIP page lists these local numbers.1

Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties share one listed phone number in MDOA's Maryland SHIP table.1 If you're calling on behalf of a parent, use the row for the county where your parent lives, because Maryland SHIP compares the plans available in your specific Maryland ZIP code.1

If you'd rather start with the state, the Maryland Department of Aging's toll-free line is 800-243-3425, and Maryland Relay is 7-1-1.1 Nationally, ACL 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, and that SHIP counseling is available in person or virtually.1 If travel is hard for your parent, ask your county's Maryland SHIP office whether a virtual appointment is possible.

What Can a Maryland SHIP Counselor Help With?

MDOA's SHIP page sorts a counselor's work by the situation you're in. The rules behind each decision live in our national guides; a Maryland SHIP counselor's job is to apply them to your dates, your income and your ZIP code.

Turning 65 or new to Medicare

For people turning 65, MDOA's SHIP page describes a seven-month window to sign up for Medicare: the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday.1 Maryland SHIP will walk you through the Initial Enrollment Period, help you decide whether you need Part B if you're still working, and make sure you don't miss your one-time Medigap open enrollment window.1 The federal timing rules are in our guides to Medicare enrollment periods and Medigap open enrollment, and Maryland's own Medigap rules are in our Maryland Medicare Supplement guide.

Missed an enrollment window

If you or a parent missed one of the Medicare enrollment windows, MDOA's SHIP page says you may not have to wait until next year, and that you might qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) if you've recently moved, lost employer coverage or had other life changes.1 Maryland SHIP counselors can help you determine whether you qualify and help you avoid late enrollment penalties.1 Our guides to Special Enrollment Periods and late enrollment penalties explain the federal rules a counselor will check you against.

Medicare costs for the coming year

Medicare costs change every year.1 Maryland SHIP provides clear breakdowns of deductibles, co-insurance and IRMAA, which MDOA's SHIP page glosses as "the income-related adjustment," to help you estimate out-of-pocket costs for the coming year.1 If a higher-income parent has received an IRMAA notice, our IRMAA guide explains how the adjustment works before you sit down with a counselor.

Comparing plans

MDOA calls plan comparison the #1 question Maryland SHIP counselors receive, and frames the Medicare plan-comparison decision as a choice between Original Medicare plus a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy for maximum flexibility, or a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan for lower premiums and added dental and vision.1 Maryland SHIP provides side-by-side, neutral comparisons of the plans available in your specific Maryland ZIP code.1 Our comparison of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage is useful background reading before that appointment.

Can Maryland SHIP Help You Pay Less for Medicare?

Yes, by finding the programs you may qualify for. Maryland SHIP screens for Medicare Savings Program (MSP) eligibility to pay Part B premiums, and for Extra Help with prescription costs.1 Maryland SHIP also assists with the Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP), which MDOA's SHIP page describes as "a state-specific subsidy that helps bridge the gap for low-to-moderate-income seniors."1 Nationally, ACL lists paying for Medicare and prescriptions among the things SHIPs help with.1

The screening is the practical value here. Maryland SHIP can help identify programs you may qualify for, so you don't have to work out alone whether a parent's income fits each one.1 The income and resource rules for each program are in our guides to Maryland SPDAP, Maryland Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Savings Programs nationally and Extra Help with drug costs.

MDOA's SHIP page also keeps a short resource list for lowering costs. The list names Good Pill Pharmacy, which MDOA describes as "a non-profit, home-delivery pharmacy offering affordable medications for anyone whose copays or deductibles are too high."1 The same MDOA list names the National Council on Aging's BenefitsCheckUp as a way to see whether you qualify for other benefits.1 Brevy mentions Good Pill Pharmacy only because MDOA's resource list does; we haven't evaluated it.

How Does Maryland SHIP Help With Appeals, Billing Errors and Fraud?

If Medicare or your private insurer denies a service you believe should be covered, you have the right to appeal.1 MDOA says Maryland SHIP counselors act as your advocate, helping you gather the right paperwork, understand the five levels of the appeals process, and communicate with providers to resolve billing disputes.1 Medicare's official guide "Medicare Appeals" (CMS Product No. 11525, April 2026) also tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals.2 Nationally, ACL adds that with your permission, SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf.1 The appeal levels and their deadlines are laid out in our guide to Medicare appeals.

Fraud is the other half of this work. MDOA describes itself as your Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program administrator, and says it can help you spot errors on your Medicare Summary Notice that could indicate fraud.1 If you've received suspicious phone calls or bills for equipment you never ordered, MDOA provides a secure, confidential way to report it and protect your benefits.1 Keep the Medicare Summary Notice or bill in hand when you call a Maryland SHIP office, so the counselor can see the exact charge you're asking about. Our guides to reading your Medicare Summary Notice and to Medicare fraud protection cover the warning signs, and Medicare.gov explains reporting Medicare fraud directly to Medicare.

What Won't a Maryland SHIP Counselor Do?

A Maryland SHIP counselor won't sell you a plan. MDOA's SHIP page says it plainly: "SHIP doesn't sell insurance. SHIP works for you."1

Federal law adds a conflict-of-interest rule of its own. 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.3 ACL's 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.3

The funding points the same way. 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.1 For a family weighing advice, that means no SHIP enrollment payment rides on which plan your parent picks. If you're also talking with a licensed agent, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

How Can You Volunteer With Maryland SHIP?

MDOA's SHIP page describes Maryland SHIP volunteers as members of your community, "often your peers," who have been trained and certified as Medicare experts.1 If you enjoy problem-solving and want to make a tangible difference in the lives of older adults in Maryland, you can complete MDOA's volunteer interest form.1 Nationally, ACL says SHIP counselors are screened, trained and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers.1

One condition applies to every would-be volunteer. The federal conflict-of-interest assurance covers volunteer staff members, and ACL's resource says no person who has a conflict of interest in connection with the work they will do at the SHIP, whether personal, philosophical or financial, may serve as a volunteer.3 ACL's resource also says SHIP volunteers do not promote any personal or business interest while undertaking their SHIP assignment.3

Learn More

Find personalized help getting free Maryland 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.