Free Medicare counseling in Michigan is provided by Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 1-800-803-7174. The Barry County Commission on Aging's page calls Michigan's SHIP by another name, MMAP, the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) describes Michigan's SHIP as the state's free, unbiased resource to help people with Medicare, and says its local certified counselors offer personal assistance at no charge. If you're turning 65, or helping a parent sort out a drug plan or a confusing bill, this guide explains what Michigan's SHIP counselors do, who can use them, and how to get an appointment.

In This Guide

What Happened to MMAP in Michigan?

If someone told you to "call MMAP," you're in the right place, even though the state's own page uses a different name. The MDHHS page for the program is titled Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You can read how SHIPs work across the country in our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

A county agency page uses the MMAP name. The Barry County Commission on Aging's page is titled "Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP)," and it states that "MMAP is Michigan's SHIP, a State Health Insurance Assistance Program, and is available to older adults and people with disabilities." The Kalamazoo County Area Agency on Aging's Medicare counseling page says its free Medicare counseling service is funded through the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) expects this kind of local naming: ACL says that depending on your area, you may know your local SHIP by another name, but the support it provides is the same. In practice, the Barry County page that says MMAP and the MDHHS page that says SHIP both point callers to the same toll-free number, 1-800-803-7174.

What Can a Michigan SHIP Counselor Help You With?

The MDHHS page for Michigan's SHIP lists seven things its counselors can do. According to MDHHS, a Michigan SHIP counselor can help you:

  • Identify resources for prescription drug assistance
  • Explain Medicare health plan options
  • Understand doctor bills, hospital bills and Medicare Summary Notices
  • Understand Medicare and Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, coverage, claims and appeals
  • Enroll in Medicare Savings Programs
  • Review your Medicare supplemental (Medigap) insurance needs, compare policies and pursue claims and refunds
  • Explore long term care financing options, including long term care insurance

That list covers more than plan shopping. A son who can't make sense of his mother's hospital bill, or a Michigan retiree whose Medicare Summary Notice shows a claim he doesn't recognize, can bring either question to a Michigan SHIP counselor, because MDHHS lists help understanding doctor bills, hospital bills and Medicare Summary Notices among the services. 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.

Can a Michigan SHIP counselor help you choose a Medigap policy?

Yes. MDHHS lists reviewing your Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance needs and comparing policies among the help Michigan's SHIP counselors give. The Kalamazoo County Medicare counseling page likewise lists reviewing Medicare Supplemental Plans among the help its Medicare counseling provides. For questions about Medigap guaranteed issue rights, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) tells readers to contact DIFS at 877-999-6442 or Michigan's SHIP at 800-803-7174. Michigan's Medigap enrollment windows are explained in our Michigan Medicare Supplement guide.

Can a Michigan SHIP Counselor Help You Pay for Medicare?

A Michigan SHIP counselor can connect you with programs that lower Medicare costs. MDHHS says Michigan's SHIP counselors can connect you with programs that can help you save on Medicare costs, and it names three.

Nationally, ACL lists paying for Medicare and prescriptions among what SHIPs help with. This guide doesn't list the income and asset limits for these programs; Michigan's limits and how to apply are in our guide to Michigan Medicare Savings Programs, and a SHIP counselor can walk through your own numbers with you.

What Is MI Options, and How Does It Relate to SHIP?

MI Options is the MDHHS program that packages Michigan's Medicare counseling together with long-term care planning help. The MDHHS MI Options Program flyer (MDHHS-Pub-2145, Rev. 8-25) says MI Options includes free, unbiased Medicare counseling services through the State Health Insurance Assistance Program and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) Program. The same MDHHS flyer says MI Options also includes Person-Centered Options Counseling for adults needing assistance to support their needs for long-term services and supports.

The MDHHS MI Options flyer lists six parts of Michigan's Medicare counseling. According to the MDHHS flyer, Michigan's Medicare counseling includes:

  • Medicare enrollment assistance
  • Medicare and Medicaid coordination
  • Discussion of cost savings options, like the Medicare Savings Program and Extra Help
  • Prescription drug coverage options
  • Billing questions
  • Benefits explanation

Person-Centered Options Counseling is the part that goes beyond Medicare. According to the MDHHS MI Options flyer, Person-Centered Options Counseling includes exploring the spectrum of long-term care and support options for adults, including home- and community-based services; identifying next steps after a major life event to better understand what services and supports are available; and building actionable steps that respect clients' preferences and values. A daughter whose father is coming home from the hospital and can no longer manage alone is the kind of family that Person-Centered Options Counseling describes, since the flyer names next steps after a major life event. The MDHHS SHIP page itself also points readers to the MI Options program for information on long-term services and supports. For the wider Michigan Medicare picture, including costs and plan types, see our Michigan Medicare plans and coverage guide.

Who Can Use Michigan's SHIP?

Michigan's Medicare counseling isn't means-tested. The MDHHS MI Options flyer says Medicare counseling services are open to any Medicare beneficiary, family member or caregiver who supports them, regardless of income, assets or disability status. The same MDHHS flyer says Person-Centered Options Counseling is available to any adult, their family members and caregivers who support them, regardless of income, assets or disability status.

That means an adult child can make the call. ACL says SHIPs provide unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. Younger people on Medicare are included too: the Barry County page says the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) provides free health-benefit counseling for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, including younger beneficiaries with disabilities. The Michigan DIFS Medicare Supplement page describes SHIP as a free health benefit counseling service for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and their caregivers.

How Do You Reach Michigan SHIP (MMAP) Medicare Counseling?

There are three documented ways to reach Michigan's SHIP, and they suit different situations.

1
Step 1

Call the statewide line to schedule

The MDHHS MI Options flyer says individuals who would like to schedule an appointment can call 1-800-803-7174, the same number the MDHHS SHIP page lists for assistance.,

2
Step 2

Or call your county agency directly

Some Michigan county agencies publish their own line; for example, the Kalamazoo County Area Agency on Aging lists the toll-free number 800-803-7174 and its local number 269-373-5158. The Barry County Commission on Aging says people who live outside Barry County can call 1-800-803-7174 to schedule an appointment.

3
Step 3

Or email MDHHS to find your local agency

The MDHHS SHIP page gives MDHHS-MIOPTIONS@michigan.gov as the contact for more information and to get connected with a local agency providing services in your county.

If your question is about Medigap guaranteed issue rights, the Michigan DIFS Medicare Supplement page lists DIFS's own number, 877-999-6442, alongside Michigan's SHIP number for that topic.

What Won't a Michigan SHIP Counselor Do?

A Michigan SHIP counselor won't sell you a plan. The MDHHS page says in plain terms that "Michigan's SHIP doesn't sell Medicare plans." The Barry County page says, "Our benefits counselors are not associated with any insurance company." The Kalamazoo County page, for example, says of its own program that "Counselors are unbiased and are not connected with any insurance company or licensed to sell insurance."

A federal rule sits behind that independence. 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 no person who has a conflict of interest in connection with the work they will do at the SMP or SHIP, whether personal, philosophical, or financial, may serve as a volunteer. ACL 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.

The money side works the same way. 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 deciding between a SHIP counselor and a licensed agent or broker, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers walks through how each one is paid.

Can You Volunteer With Michigan's SHIP?

Yes. ACL says SHIP counselors are members of your local community who have been screened, trained, and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers. The MDHHS SHIP page says people interested in getting involved with Michigan's SHIP have the option to volunteer in-person, by telephone, or via videoconference.

To ask about volunteering, use the MDHHS email address from the steps above, MDHHS-MIOPTIONS@michigan.gov. The conflict-of-interest rule described above also applies to would-be volunteers: under ACL's example, anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans has an inherent conflict of interest, and ACL says no person with a conflict of interest may serve as a SHIP volunteer. Other states run the same kind of program under their own names, such as California's HICAP and Florida's SHINE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MMAP still around in Michigan?

Yes, under the name MDHHS uses: the Barry County Commission on Aging's page says "MMAP is Michigan's SHIP," so a search for MMAP and a call to Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) lead to the same free Medicare counseling.

Is mmapinc.org the website for Michigan's SHIP?

The state's own page for Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is on the MDHHS website, at the MDHHS SHIP page. Use the MDHHS page, or the statewide phone number, when you want the state's current information about Michigan's SHIP.

Is Michigan's SHIP the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

Michigan's SHIP and 1-800-MEDICARE are two different lines. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line for beneficiaries, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048. Michigan's SHIP is the state's free counseling program, reached at 1-800-803-7174. CMS says to call a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan first for a plan-specific issue, and to contact 1-800-MEDICARE for an Original Medicare concern or when the plan could not resolve the inquiry. Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide says you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state.

Can a Michigan SHIP counselor help with a Medicare appeal?

Medicare's official "Medicare Appeals" guide (CMS Product No. 11525, April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. MDHHS lists helping people understand Medicare and Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, coverage, claims and appeals among what Michigan's SHIP counselors do. ACL says that, with your permission, a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in MichiganMichigan Medicare in 2026: what Parts A and B cost, Medicare Advantage and Medigap rules (Michigan has no birthday rule), plus free help from Michigan SHIP. 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. MedicareMichigan Medicare Supplement GuideMichigan Medicare supplement insurers can't deny you or price on health for six months once you're 65 and in Part B. See guaranteed-issue and under-65 rules. MedicaidMichigan Medicare Savings ProgramsMichigan Medicare Savings Programs for 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, what each covers, how to apply through MI Bridges, and Extra Help connection.

Find personalized help booking a free Michigan SHIP Medicare counseling appointment 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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