Montana SHIP Medicare help starts with one toll-free call to 1-800-551-3191, which can lead to a local counselor, even one who comes to your home. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) says Montana SHIP provides no-cost health-benefits counseling and advocacy for Medicare beneficiaries and their families or caregivers.

In This Guide

What Is Montana SHIP, and Who Runs It?

Montana SHIP is Montana's State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Medicare's "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. The program is administered by the DPHHS Office on Aging and operated through the state's Area Agencies on Aging, and it is funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), according to DPHHS.

That local structure is the reason the program works the way it does. DPHHS says its Aging Services Bureau partners with nine Area Agencies on Aging so that its services reach residents in every region of the state. SHIP is operated through those regional agencies, which is why a call ends with a referral to the agency for your county.

Our Montana Medicare plans and coverage guide covers premiums, plan types and enrollment across the state, and our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP explains how SHIPs work in every state. This page stays with how the program reaches you in Montana.

How Does a Call Reach a Montana SHIP Counselor?

The number DPHHS gives for Montana SHIP, 1-800-551-3191, is the same toll-free Help Line DPHHS lists for Montana's Area Agencies on Aging, and that line connects callers to their local agency., Here is how a call usually goes:

  1. Call 1-800-551-3191 during normal business hours. DPHHS says the Help Line is only available during those hours.
  2. Say that you want to talk with a SHIP counselor about Medicare. The Help Line also takes other aging-services calls (DPHHS gives it to Alzheimer's caregivers looking for respite, too), so naming SHIP up front saves a transfer.
  3. If you need an appointment, DPHHS says staff will refer you to the Area Agency on Aging for your county of residence.
  4. That agency puts you in touch with your local SHIP counselor, who can meet with you and go over your Medicare questions.

The referral follows the county where the person on Medicare lives. If you're an adult child calling from Billings about a father in Kalispell, give his county, not yours, so the appointment is set up near him.

Will a Montana SHIP Counselor Come to Your Home?

Yes, when getting to an office is the problem. DPHHS's Montana SHIP page answers the question "What if I am homebound?" this way: "A SHIP counselor will meet with you in your home if you cannot get out or don't have transportation." The condition is real, so mention it when you call: say that you can't leave home, or that you have no way to get to the agency, and ask for a home visit.

The in-person option isn't limited to the larger towns. The Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) describes SHIP as offering trained, in-person assistance throughout Montana. That matters in an eastern ranch county or a small Hi-Line town, where the agency for your county is the one that sets up the visit.

What Can You Ask a Montana SHIP Counselor About?

DPHHS lists seven subjects a Montana SHIP counselor will educate you about:

  • Medicare eligibility, enrollment and benefits
  • Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) plan comparisons
  • Related types of health insurance benefits
  • Medigap (supplemental) insurance
  • Medicare health plans
  • Medicare fraud, waste and abuse
  • Long-term care options and information

Choosing or changing a plan. Federal guidance says SHIP team members are trained and certified to help people obtain coverage through Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap, and that plan choices are among the questions a SHIP can help with. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and changes you make take effect January 1 of the following year. DPHHS says an appointment comes through a referral to the Area Agency on Aging for your county. Leave time for that step and call early in the window, not in the first week of December. Our Medicare Open Enrollment guide explains what you can change.

A denied claim or a bill that looks wrong. Medicare's "Medicare Appeals" guide (April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. CMS also lists billing problems among the Medicare questions SHIPs can help with. If a charge looks like fraud rather than a mistake, Medicare fraud, waste and abuse is on DPHHS's list of SHIP subjects too, and our guide to Medicare fraud protection shows what to look for on your statements. The appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals.

Does a Montana SHIP Counselor Have Anything to Sell You?

No. DPHHS says Montana SHIP counselors are not connected with any insurance company and are not licensed to sell insurance, and that the program is not affiliated with the insurance industry. DPHHS describes it as an independent, objective and confidential assistance program.

Federal law backs that up. Federal law (42 U.S.C. 1395b-4) requires each state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that SHIP staff members, including volunteers, have no conflict of interest in providing counseling. ACL's conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP programs gives, as one example of a person with an inherent conflict of interest, anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan. Our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how a broker is paid and when one may still be the right call.

Montana SHIP, Big Sky Rx and Help Paying Medicare Costs

Montana has its own help with Part D premiums, and Montana SHIP is part of the application path. Big Sky Rx is Montana's state premium-assistance program, and as of 2026 DPHHS says Big Sky Rx can pay up to $50.60 a month toward a Medicare-approved prescription drug plan's premium. To qualify for Big Sky Rx, DPHHS says as of 2026 that your income must be less than $31,920 for a single person or $43,280 for a married couple living together, and you must choose a Medicare-approved drug plan. DPHHS gives (800) 551-3191 for your local SHIP office for help selecting that plan, and Big Sky Rx enrollment is open at any time of year. Our Big Sky Rx guide walks through the application, including the step where some applicants apply for Extra Help first.

The Medicare Savings Programs are a separate kind of help, and here SHIP's role is to help you apply, not to decide. Federal guidance says SHIP assists beneficiaries with limited income in applying for programs such as Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help. In Montana, DPHHS determines Medicare Savings Program eligibility, and you apply at any Office of Public Assistance or online at apply.mt.gov. Montana's income standards effective April 1, 2026 are $1,330 a month for an individual for QMB, $1,596 for SLMB and $1,796 for QI, with a resource standard of $9,950 for an individual, and both are limits on countable income and countable resources. Our guide to Montana Medicare Savings Programs has the couple figures and what each program pays.

Medigap Questions: Montana SHIP or the Insurance Commissioner?

Montana splits Medigap questions between two offices. Montana SHIP counselors cover Medigap (supplemental) insurance as one of their subjects, so a counseling appointment is the place to compare policies or ask how Medigap fits with the rest of your coverage. CSI, the state's insurance regulator, says that if you have questions about Medicare Supplement insurance you can contact CSI Consumer Services at 800.332.6148 or 406.444.2040.

The split matters most when an insurer turns you down. Medicare's "Choosing a Medigap Policy" guide says to call your State Insurance Department if you're denied Medigap coverage in a guaranteed-issue situation, and in Montana that is CSI. Our Montana Medicare Supplement guide covers when those guaranteed-issue rights apply.

Getting Ready for a Montana SHIP Appointment

A Montana SHIP counselor can do much more with your actual paperwork in hand than with a description of it. Before the appointment, gather:

  • Your Medicare card and any plan member ID cards
  • A list of every prescription, with the dose, if you're comparing drug plans or applying for Big Sky Rx
  • Any denial letter, plan notice or bill you have questions about
  • Your monthly income and a rough total of savings, if you want help applying for a Medicare Savings Program

If you're comparing plans, you can also look at the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov before you meet. Bring your questions written down, especially if a family member is joining by phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I get Big Sky Rx, do I have to wait for Open Enrollment to change drug plans?

Not necessarily. Big Sky Rx identifies itself as Montana's State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, or SPAP. Under federal Medicare rules, a member of a qualified SPAP has a special enrollment period that allows one enrollment election per calendar year, used to join or switch a Medicare drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage. Before you switch, a SHIP counselor can compare plans with you, since Part D plan comparisons are on DPHHS's list of SHIP subjects.

Will a Montana SHIP counselor tell me which plan to pick?

No. DPHHS says a SHIP counselor will not make decisions for you; the counselor's role is to assist you objectively and confidentially so you can make your own health care decisions.

What if I need Medicare help after business hours?

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), the official Medicare line run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), lets you talk or live chat with a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays; TTY users call 1-877-486-2048. For a problem with a specific Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, CMS says to call the plan first, using the number on your member ID card.

Can Montana SHIP help me understand a long-term care insurance policy?

It can give you information, though it won't make the decision for you. DPHHS lists long-term care options and information, and related types of health insurance benefits, among the subjects a SHIP counselor covers. Federal law also lists information regarding long-term care insurance among the counseling a state's SHIP program provides. Write down what you've been told about the policy, and what it would cost, so you can ask the counselor about it.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in MontanaMedicare in Montana for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, MSP income limits, and free SHIP counseling through Montana DPHHS. 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. MedicareBig Sky Rx: Montana's Part D Premium HelpBig Sky Rx pays up to $50.60 a month toward a Montana resident's Medicare Part D premium. See the income limits, who qualifies, and how to apply. MedicareMontana Medicare Supplement GuideMontana Medicare Supplement guide: six-month open enrollment, Medigap under 65, the 63-day right when an insurer leaves, and the 30-day free look for a refund. MedicaidMontana Medicare Savings ProgramsMontana Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, what each pays, Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through Montana DPHHS. 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.

Find personalized help getting Montana SHIP Medicare counseling, at home or near you, 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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