If you're facing a Medicare or drug-plan decision in Minnesota, free Minnesota SHIP Medicare counseling is one call away at Minnesota Aging Pathways, 800-333-2433. Minnesota Aging Pathways, formerly the Senior LinkAge Line, is Minnesota's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and it offers free, unbiased help with your Medicare choices. A Minnesota Aging Pathways counselor can help with a first Medicare decision, prescription drug costs, or the plan-change notice a parent gets each fall. Minnesota Aging Pathways answers Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., by phone or by live chat at mn.gov/aging-pathways.

In This Guide

What Is Minnesota SHIP, and Is It the Senior LinkAge Line?

Minnesota's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is Minnesota Aging Pathways, and Minnesota Aging Pathways was formerly called the Senior LinkAge Line. So if a relative, a clinic or an older mailing tells you to call the Senior LinkAge Line about Medicare, the program to look for today is Minnesota Aging Pathways. The name changed; the free Medicare help did not go away.

Minnesota Aging Pathways carries four federal designations at once. The Minnesota Board on Aging says Minnesota Aging Pathways is Minnesota's federally designated long-term care options counseling service, State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and aging and disability resource center (ADRC). For a family, those four designations mean one statewide program covers a Medicare drug-plan question, a suspicious Medicare bill and a parent's long-term care planning.

Minnesota's program belongs to a national network. Nationally, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) describes SHIP as a national program of ACL and says that, depending on your area, you may know your local SHIP by another name. In Minnesota, that other name is Minnesota Aging Pathways.

Our guide to Medicare plans and coverage in Minnesota covers the wider state picture, and our explainer on free Medicare counseling through SHIP covers how SHIPs work across the country. This page stays with Minnesota Aging Pathways itself.

Is Minnesota SHIP Free, and Who Runs It?

Yes, Minnesota SHIP counseling is free. The Minnesota Board on Aging describes Minnesota Aging Pathways as a free, statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging in partnership with Minnesota's area agencies on aging. Minnesota Aging Pathways' own Medicare page adds that its help with your Medicare choices is unbiased, which matters when the decision in front of you is which private plan to pick.

Medicare's own definition of a SHIP explains where the money for free counseling comes from. Medicare's official guide "Medicare Appeals" (CMS Product No. 11525, April 2026) 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. 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.

If you're weighing a SHIP counselor's advice against an insurance agent's, our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

What Can a Minnesota SHIP Counselor Help You With?

On the Medicare side, the Minnesota Board on Aging lists two kinds of help from Minnesota Aging Pathways that apply directly to a Medicare decision.

If a parent may qualify for Medical Assistance, Minnesota's Medicaid program, or Medicare Extra Help, Minnesota Aging Pathways' forms assistance means you don't have to work through the application alone., The income and asset rules themselves are in our guides to Minnesota Medicare Savings Programs, the federal Medicare Savings Programs, and Extra Help with drug costs. If you're deciding between Minnesota's Medigap base plans and riders, our Minnesota Medicare Supplement guide is useful background before you call.

Appeals are part of the national SHIP picture. Nationally, Medicare's official guide "Medicare Appeals" tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. If Medicare or a plan has denied something you think should be covered, raise the denial when you call Minnesota Aging Pathways, and read our guide to Medicare appeals for the levels and deadlines.

How Do You Reach Minnesota Aging Pathways, and When Should You Call 1-800-MEDICARE Instead?

For Minnesota options or one-on-one help, call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433 or use its live chat at mn.gov/aging-pathways, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Minnesota Aging Pathways' own Medicare page draws a line between its help and Medicare's. For general Medicare questions, the page tells you to start at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), with teletypewriter (TTY) users dialing 1-877-486-2048., 1-800-MEDICARE is the official Medicare contact line, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and callers 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 your own Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, CMS directs you to call the plan first, using the number on your member ID card.

Where to go Best for How to reach it
Minnesota Aging Pathways (Minnesota SHIP) One-on-one help with your Medicare choices and Minnesota options 800-333-2433 or live chat at mn.gov/aging-pathways, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
1-800-MEDICARE General Medicare questions 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays
Your Part D or Medicare Advantage plan A problem with your own plan The number on your member ID card

How Should You Prepare for a Minnesota SHIP Call During Open Enrollment?

Medicare Open Enrollment runs every year from October 15 to December 7, and Minnesota Aging Pathways calls it the time to review your current Medicare plan and compare it with other plans. During Medicare Open Enrollment you can switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, or change or join a Medicare Part D drug plan, and the changes take effect on January 1 of the following year. Nationally, ACL lists Open Enrollment and plan comparison among the things SHIPs help with, and says it's important to review your Medicare plan every year during Open Enrollment.

Start with the notice your plan mails you. If you're on a Medicare plan, you'll receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) each fall outlining changes in coverage and costs that take effect in January, and if you can't find your ANOC, Minnesota Aging Pathways says to call your plan for a copy. Bring the ANOC to your Minnesota SHIP call, because it shows what is changing in the plan you already have.

Minnesota Aging Pathways suggests gathering these before you compare plans:

1
Step 1

A list of your prescription medications, with the dosage amount for each one

2
Step 2

Your Medicare card

3
Step 3

Any other plan card for your health coverage

4
Step 4

The name of your preferred pharmacy

5
Step 5

The names of your medical providers

The comparison itself happens in the federal Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov. Minnesota Aging Pathways points to the Medicare Plan Finder to see which Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans are available in your area, which plans best cover your medications, which providers participate, and how much plans cost per month. The Medicare Plan Finder's provider list isn't the last word: Medicare recommends calling a plan to verify your providers participate, because participating providers can change at any time. Our guide to Medicare Open Enrollment covers the federal rules for what you can change this fall.

How Do You Report Medicare Fraud in Minnesota?

Minnesota Aging Pathways is Minnesota's federally designated Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), and it helps people fight fraud, abuse and scams. To report Medicare fraud, abuse or a scam in Minnesota, call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433.

Minnesota Aging Pathways' fraud page describes the ways people try to make money dishonestly from people with Medicare. Examples on its list include:

  • Using your Medicare number to bill Medicare for services or items you did not receive
  • Sending you items you did not ask for and then billing Medicare for them
  • Telling you Medicare will pay for genetic testing when it does not
  • Telling you that you need to pay for a new Medicare card, when Medicare cards are provided at no charge
  • Pressuring you to pay a bill over the phone by saying your coverage will be dropped
  • Showing up at your door and claiming to be with Medicare

If you're targeted by a Medicare scam, Minnesota Aging Pathways' fraud page gives three steps: track the medical services and prescription drugs you receive by reviewing your receipts and bills against your explanation of benefits, report Medicare scams to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and share your experience so others can avoid the same scam., Our guide to protecting yourself from Medicare fraud covers the warning signs in more depth.

How Do You Volunteer With Minnesota Aging Pathways?

Minnesota Aging Pathways' volunteer page lists three kinds of volunteer work: community outreach, office assistance and health insurance counseling. The same Minnesota Aging Pathways page names training and learning new skills among what volunteering offers. To ask about volunteering, email Minnesota Aging Pathways at aging.pathways@state.mn.us.

Nationally, 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. One national condition applies to every SHIP volunteer. ACL's conflict-of-interest 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call Minnesota Aging Pathways on behalf of my parent?

Families and caregivers are part of who SHIPs serve. Nationally, ACL's conflict-of-interest resource says SHIPs provide free, in-depth, unbiased, one-on-one health insurance counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. The Minnesota Board on Aging says Minnesota Aging Pathways connects older Minnesotans and their caregivers with the services and support they need. Keep your parent's Medicare card and medication list close when you call, since Minnesota Aging Pathways lists both among the things to gather before comparing plans.

Is Minnesota Aging Pathways only for Medicare?

No. Beyond Medicare, the Minnesota Board on Aging lists long-term care insurance and planning, comparing housing options, connecting with help and services in the community, moving out of a nursing home back into the community, and preadmission screening for nursing facility admissions among the help Minnesota Aging Pathways offers.

Is a Minnesota SHIP counselor the same as an insurance agent?

No. Under federal law, 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. 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. Minnesota Aging Pathways describes its Medicare help as free and unbiased.

What if you miss the October 15 to December 7 Medicare Open Enrollment window?

If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31 each year and lets you make one change, either to another Medicare Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare with a drug plan. Certain life events, such as moving or losing other insurance coverage, may also open a Special Enrollment Period for changing Medicare health and drug coverage. Our guide to Medicare enrollment periods lays out each window.

How do you find a SHIP if your parent lives outside Minnesota?

Medicare's official guide "Medicare Appeals" says that to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state, you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE. Use the SHIP in the state where your parent lives, since the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans on offer depend on the area where a person lives.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in MinnesotaMedicare in Minnesota for 2026: Parts A and B costs, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, free Aging Pathways counseling, and Medicare Savings Programs. MedicareFree Medicare Counseling: What SHIP Is and Whether It's Really UnbiasedSHIP 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 Broker: Who Actually Pays Each OneA 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. MedicareMinnesota Medicare Supplement (Medigap): Base Plans and RidersMinnesota Medicare Supplement (Medigap) guide: the non-standard Basic and Extended Basic plans, optional riders, MN versions of K, L, M, N, and who regulates. MedicaidMinnesota Medicare Savings Programs: Help Paying Medicare CostsMinnesota Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income and asset limits, Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through your county or tribal agency. MedicareHow to Protect Yourself From Medicare Fraud and ScamsProtect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams. How to guard your Medicare Number, spot common scams, check your statements, and report fraud fast.

Find personalized help getting free Minnesota 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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