New Hampshire SHIP Medicare Help: Who Answers 1-866-634-9412 (2026)

New Hampshire SHIP Medicare help comes from SHIP-certified Medicare specialists at your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), reached through 1-866-634-9412.1 There's no separate SHIP office to find. New Hampshire's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is one of several programs the ADRCs run, so the specialist who helps you compare drug plans sits in the same office as the ADRC's caregiver support and Medicaid application help.1,2

In This Guide

• How New Hampshire Runs SHIP Through the ADRCs
• New Hampshire ADRC Offices by County
• What a New Hampshire SHIP Specialist Helps With
• When Medicare Denies Something or Sends a Confusing Notice
• Getting Help Paying Your Medicare Costs
• Checking a Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Right
• A Charge on Your Statement You Never Got
• Is a New Hampshire SHIP Specialist Selling Anything?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How New Hampshire Runs SHIP Through the ADRCs

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) describes its ADRC network as a DHHS program made up of Aging and Disability Resource Centers across the state.3 Those centers administer several programs side by side: Information and Referral, Person-Centered Counseling (called Options Counseling), the Family Caregiver Support Program, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and the Senior Medicare Patrol.1

New Hampshire DHHS states the SHIP mission as helping people with Medicare understand their Medicare benefits and program options, and says every Medicare specialist at an ADRC location is SHIP-trained and certified.1 Nationally, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program is managed by the Administration for Community Living, which describes SHIP as one-on-one assistance, counseling and education for Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers.1

So what does the shared office mean for you? If your mother's Medicare, her Medicaid application and your own need for a break as her caregiver are all on the table at once, it's one office to call. ADRC Options Counseling staff have specialized training to guide people through the Medicaid application process, according to New Hampshire DHHS.2 That's a separate program from SHIP, so ask for Options Counseling by name when you call; our guide on how to apply for New Hampshire Medicaid walks through the application. The ADRCs also connect family caregivers to the Family Caregiver Support Program, which offers information, counseling, education and respite care.4

If you've heard the name ServiceLink, you're in the right place: the DHHS ADRC Medicare Support Services page still displays the ServiceLink logo.3

New Hampshire ADRC Offices by County

New Hampshire DHHS says its SHIP-Medicare Specialists are located at every community-based ADRC office, in every county of the state.3 Calling the office directly is the surest way to reach the county you mean, especially from out of state or from a land line. These are the offices and numbers DHHS lists:

DHHS lists the same number for the Littleton and Plymouth offices in Grafton County.3

What a New Hampshire SHIP Specialist Helps With

New Hampshire DHHS lists what its SHIP-Medicare Specialists provide. Here's that list in plain terms:3

• Picking a drug plan: help comparing options to find the most cost-effective Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for the prescriptions you actually take
• Weighing other coverage: help analyzing Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies and Medicare Advantage plans
• Lowering your costs: help applying for programs that cut your Medicare out-of-pocket expenses
• Doing your own homework: trainings, self-study guides and a lending library of Medicare publications, senior-related resources and caregiver information

DHHS also gives examples of the questions the ADRCs can answer, and they're the ones people actually get stuck on: why Medicare denied a service, how to read a Medicare notice, whether Medicare pays for preventive and screening services, how to choose a Medicare Supplement, when to enroll in Part B if you're still working, and what Medicare Advantage plans offer.3

Timing helps with the drug-plan question. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and changes you make then take effect January 1.5 A call in October leaves room for a second conversation before the deadline. Our Medicare Open Enrollment guide covers what you can change.

One thing to ask up front: whether the specialist will submit the enrollment with you, or help you compare and leave the sign-up to you. Practice isn't uniform. In its June 2026 report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) says some SHIP grantees help enroll beneficiaries in Medicare plans, which means not all of them do.6

When Medicare Denies Something or Sends a Confusing Notice

"Why did Medicare deny services?" and "How do I read my Medicare Beneficiary Notice?" are two of the questions New Hampshire DHHS lists for its ADRCs, so a denial letter is a fair reason to call.3 Medicare's own "Medicare Appeals" guide (April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals.7 The appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals.

If you're handling the paperwork for a parent, make it official. Medicare's appeals guide says a person can appoint a representative, such as a family member, friend, advocate, attorney or doctor, using the "Appointment of Representative" form (Form CMS-1696) or a written request with the required details.7 A Medicaid denial runs through a different, state process, covered in our guide to New Hampshire Medicaid appeals and fair hearings.

Getting Help Paying Your Medicare Costs

New Hampshire DHHS says the ADRCs can help you lower your Medicare expenses through two programs: the Medicare Savings Programs, also called Buy-Ins, which can save money on Part B, and Extra Help, the Low Income Subsidy, which saves money on Part D prescription costs and premiums.3 DHHS invites you to call the ADRC to see whether you, a family member or a friend could qualify.3

Don't rule yourself out by comparing your gross income to a chart. New Hampshire DHHS runs the Medicare Savings Programs as the Medicare Beneficiaries Savings Program, and it subtracts certain expenses from your household income and compares the remaining net income to the limit; it also doesn't count the home you live in, your vehicles or burial plots for yourself.2 Federal guidance from Social Security goes further, telling staff that even when someone's income or resources look somewhat over the limits, they should be encouraged to apply.2 The tiers and what each pays are in our guide to New Hampshire Medicare Savings Programs.

Checking a Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Right

Medicare's guide "Choosing a Medigap Policy" tells people to call their SHIP to make sure they qualify for a guaranteed issue right, and to call their state insurance department if they're denied Medigap coverage in a guaranteed issue situation.8 So if you're counting on a guaranteed issue right to buy a Medicare Supplement, a New Hampshire SHIP specialist is the person to check it with first.

For prices, the New Hampshire Insurance Department runs a Medicare Supplement Rate Dashboard that lets you compare monthly premiums by gender, age, plan type and company. The Department notes that the rates shown apply during initial open enrollment or guaranteed issue periods, and that anyone changing plans should contact the company directly for a rate; its phone number is (603) 271-2261.8 New Hampshire's own Medigap rules, including buying a policy under 65, are in our New Hampshire Medicare Supplement guide.

A Charge on Your Statement You Never Got

Suspected billing errors and fraud belong to the Senior Medicare Patrol, whose mission is helping people with Medicare prevent, detect and report suspected health care fraud, errors and abuse.9 New Hampshire's ADRCs administer it alongside SHIP, so in New Hampshire one call to the ADRC line, 1-866-634-9412, reaches both SHIP and the Senior Medicare Patrol.1 Medicare.gov's advice is to compare the dates and services on your calendar with the Medicare statements you receive, and to give your Medicare Number only to your providers, your plan or people you trust who work with Medicare, such as your SHIP.9 Medicare.gov's page on reporting Medicare fraud explains how to report a charge, and our guide to Medicare fraud protection shows what to look for.

Is a New Hampshire SHIP Specialist Selling Anything?

New Hampshire DHHS describes what its SHIP-Medicare Specialists provide as "Free, confidential, and unbiased health insurance counseling."3 The choice of plan stays yours.

Federal law backs the unbiased part. Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, each state's SHIP grant plan must assure that SHIP staff, including volunteers, have no conflict of interest in providing the counseling, and the Administration for Community Living's conflict-of-interest resource names anyone paid for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan as an example of a person with an inherent conflict.10 A broker works differently, and sometimes that's still the right call; our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains when.

Learn More

Find personalized help getting free New Hampshire SHIP support with a Medicare plan, notice or cost question 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.