If a doctor's office or a friend has told your family to "call SHIP" before a Medicare decision, New Jersey SHIP Medicare counseling is free, and it starts with a call to 1-800-792-8820., New Jersey's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries free help with problems or questions about their health insurance, and New Jersey SHIP appointments are held over the phone, virtually or in person., That matters if the person on Medicare no longer drives, or if you're helping from another town and can only join by phone.

In This Guide

What Is New Jersey SHIP?

New Jersey SHIP is New Jersey's State Health Insurance Assistance Program: the state's brochure is titled "A Guide to the New Jersey State Health Insurance Assistance Program," and the state's SHIP page says SHIP provides free help to New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries who have problems with, or questions about, their health insurance. New Jersey's SHIP page says SHIP is a statewide program administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services and funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). The state's SHIP brochure puts it slightly differently, describing SHIP as sponsored by the Department of Human Services' Division of Aging Services (DoAS).

The subjects New Jersey SHIP covers are wider than choosing a plan. New Jersey's SHIP brochure says the program helps New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries with problems or questions about Medicare, Medigap, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D and long-term care insurance, and it calls that help free, objective and confidential. In practice, that means you can bring a billing letter, a plan notice or a question about long-term care insurance to the same free appointment. For New Jersey's wider Medicare picture, including plan types and enrollment, see our New Jersey Medicare plans and coverage guide.

New Jersey's program is one part of a national network. For SHIPs across the country, ACL says SHIP is your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program, that SHIPs give unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers, and that a certified counselor gives one-on-one guidance based on your situation. Medicare's April 2026 guide Medicare Appeals 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. For how the national SHIP network works and whether its counseling is truly independent, see our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP.

What Can New Jersey SHIP Medicare Counseling Help You With?

New Jersey's SHIP brochure lists the questions its counselors are ready and willing to help you answer. Those questions are:

  • What is the difference between Original Medicare and the Medicare Advantage plans?
  • What are the "gaps" in Original Medicare coverage, and how do you fill them?
  • What do you do if Medicare denies payment for a claim?
  • Are programs available to help you pay your Medicare and prescription costs?
  • Does Medicare pay for nursing home care?
  • What are the different Medigap plans?
  • What is long-term care insurance?

The brochure presents these as questions to bring to your local SHIP office, not as answers, so the answer for your own coverage comes from the counselor. If one of them is keeping you up at night, write it down before the appointment so the counselor can start there.

ACL's national list of SHIP help adds some practical detail. ACL lists understanding your choices, how to enroll, plan comparison, coverage and costs, paying for Medicare and prescriptions, troubleshooting billing issues, submitting appeals and referral to other resources among the things SHIPs help with. ACL also says a SHIP can assist with navigating access to providers, correcting billing issues, and filing complaints and appeals, and that with your permission a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf.

For a denied claim, the Medicare Appeals guide from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Product No. 11525, tells people with Medicare to call their State Health Insurance Assistance Program for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. The steps of the appeal itself are laid out in our guide to appealing a Medicare denial, and New Jersey's Medigap rules, including the under-65 rules, are in our New Jersey Medicare Supplement guide.

How Do You Book Free New Jersey SHIP Medicare Counseling?

New Jersey SHIP appointments are now held virtually, over the phone or with other technology, or in person, according to the state's SHIP page. That choice is useful when a parent can't travel or when an adult child wants to join the call from work. Here is the route New Jersey's SHIP page and brochure describe:

1
Step 1

Call the SHIP Information Center or your county's lead agency

New Jersey's SHIP page lists the SHIP Information Center at 1-800-792-8820 and tells you to set up your appointment with the lead counseling agency in your area. The Division of Aging Services keeps a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Local Offices page that lists the local SHIP office for each New Jersey county.

2
Step 2

Or go through your County Office on Aging

New Jersey's SHIP page says you can also contact a SHIP counselor through your County Office on Aging.

3
Step 3

Choose how you want to meet

When you book, say whether you'd rather meet by phone, virtually or in person.

Family members who live outside New Jersey have one more option. The SHIP National Technical Assistance Center's New Jersey page on shiphelp.org says that if you are calling from outside the state of New Jersey, you should call (877) 222-3737.

How Can SHIP's New Jersey Plan Charts Help You Compare?

New Jersey SHIP publishes its own plan charts, so you can see the New Jersey options side by side before you call a company. The state's SHIP page says the program produces and regularly updates charts detailing the Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans offered in New Jersey, posted to help you compare plans and decide which plan fits your needs and budget. The charts currently posted on that page include:

  • Medigap charts by age: separate Medigap charts for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older, age 50 to 64, and under age 50; for New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries under age 50, New Jersey SHIP's page currently says only Horizon offers a Medigap plan.
  • Stand-alone drug plans: a chart of stand-alone prescription drug plans in New Jersey for people in Original Medicare who may wish to join a Medicare Part D plan.
  • Medicare Advantage plans: a chart of New Jersey Medicare Advantage plans, with the page's note that many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage and that you should ask the company how that benefit works.

Treat the charts as a starting list rather than a final price. New Jersey's SHIP page cautions that Medigap options and pricing can change at any time during the year, and recommends calling the company you are interested in to confirm the information and premiums on SHIP's charts before enrolling or changing coverage. For SHIPs nationally, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) lists plan comparison among the things a SHIP helps with.

Can New Jersey SHIP Help You Pay for Medicare?

Yes, New Jersey SHIP is the route New Jersey's Division of Aging Services names for two Medicare cost-help programs. The New Jersey Division of Aging Services' Get Help Paying Your Medicare Costs page describes a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) and the Low Income Subsidy (LIS, also called Extra Help), and says that to learn more about and apply for them you contact your County State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). If money is the real worry behind the call, say so at the start of the appointment.

New Jersey also has an online route. The Division of Aging Services' cost-help page says you can complete an NJSave application online, and that NJSave screens and enrolls eligible people in up to 10 different assistance programs, including a Low Income Subsidy or Medicare Savings Program. New Jersey's SHIP page describes NJSave as an online application to help low-income seniors and people with disabilities save money on Medicare premiums, prescription costs and other living expenses.

This guide deliberately leaves out the income and asset limits, which are covered elsewhere. For New Jersey's Medicare Savings Program limits, see our New Jersey Medicare Savings Programs guide; for the national rules, see our guides to Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help; and for New Jersey's own drug-cost programs, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled and Senior Gold, see our New Jersey PAAD and Senior Gold guide.

What Will New Jersey SHIP Not Do?

New Jersey SHIP will not choose a plan for you. New Jersey's SHIP page says its volunteer counselors do not provide legal advice, and do not sell, recommend or endorse any specific insurance product, agent, insurance company or plan; instead, they provide information and assistance so that you can make your own decisions.

Federal law backs up that independence. Under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, a state's SHIP grant plan must provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, of the counseling program have no conflict of interest in providing that counseling. 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.

The funding points the same way. For SHIPs 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. If you're weighing a SHIP counselor against an insurance agent, our comparison of SHIP counseling and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid.

How Do You Report Medicare Fraud in New Jersey?

Suspected fraud has its own phone line. Under the heading "Report Medicare & Medicaid Waste, Fraud & Abuse," New Jersey's SHIP page lists 1-732-777-1940, ext. 1117, and points anyone who knows or suspects someone is committing Medicare or Medicaid waste, fraud or abuse to the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) of New Jersey.

The Senior Medicare Patrol of New Jersey's own site says it helps Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers prevent, detect and report health care fraud, errors and abuse, and that it serves the entire state of New Jersey. Have your Medicare statements and the bill in question in front of you before you call. For warning signs and common scams, see our guide to protecting yourself from Medicare fraud.

How Can You Volunteer With New Jersey SHIP?

New Jersey SHIP runs on volunteers. The state's SHIP brochure says the program's success is built on a statewide network of trained volunteers, and New Jersey's SHIP page invites people to join its network of 300+ counselors who give free, unbiased counseling to New Jersey residents. The brochure describes a good volunteer counselor as someone who:

  • Enjoys helping others
  • Is dependable, understanding, patient and compassionate
  • Can protect client confidentiality
  • Has no conflict of interest
  • Is willing to learn new material and commit to ongoing training

If that describes you, New Jersey's SHIP brochure says to call the SHIP Coordinator in your county for details. ACL says SHIP counselors nationally are members of their local community who have been screened, trained and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers. Years spent sorting out a parent's coverage are real experience, and volunteering is one way to put it to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call New Jersey SHIP for my parent or spouse?

Yes. ACL says SHIPs give unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers, so a spouse or adult child can make the first call. ACL also says that, with the beneficiary's permission, a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on the beneficiary's behalf, so plan for your parent or spouse to be available to give that permission.

Do I have to be new to Medicare to use New Jersey SHIP?

No. ACL says SHIP isn't just for people new to Medicare. ACL also says it is important to review your Medicare plan every year during Open Enrollment, which is a good reason to book a SHIP appointment even if you've had Medicare for years.

Is New Jersey SHIP the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

No, New Jersey SHIP and 1-800-MEDICARE are two different lines. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and TTY (text telephone) users call 1-877-486-2048. CMS says to call your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan first about a plan-specific issue, and to contact 1-800-MEDICARE about Original Medicare or when the plan could not resolve the problem.

Is what I tell a New Jersey SHIP counselor kept confidential?

Yes. New Jersey's SHIP brochure calls the program's help confidential, so bring the paperwork that shows your real situation: your Medicare card, your plan letters and your prescription list. The same brochure lists the ability to protect client confidentiality among the qualities of a good SHIP volunteer counselor.

Can New Jersey SHIP help with a Medicare Advantage plan I already have?

Yes. New Jersey's SHIP brochure says the program helps Medicare beneficiaries who have problems with or questions about Medicare Advantage plans, not only people choosing a first plan. For SHIPs nationally, ACL lists troubleshooting billing issues and navigating access to providers among the problems a SHIP can help with.

Learn More

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. MedicareNew Jersey Medicare Plans and CoverageNew Jersey Medicare in 2026: Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap, with NJ under-65 protections, 2026 costs, and free SHIP help. 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. MedicareNew Jersey Medicare Supplement (Medigap) and the Under-65 RulesNew Jersey guarantees Medigap Plan D to under-65 Medicare beneficiaries with no age surcharge. The 2026 rules, the 12-month deadline, and how to apply. MedicareNew Jersey PAAD and Senior GoldNew Jersey's PAAD and Senior Gold help pay Medicare Part D drug costs for seniors. See the 2026 income limits, the copays, and how to apply through NJSave. MedicaidNew Jersey Medicare Savings ProgramsNew Jersey Medicare Savings Programs in 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, PAAD and Senior Gold coordination, and how to apply through NJ FamilyCare. Plan-compareMedicare Plan Finder

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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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