If you or a parent has Medicare, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, gives you free Medicare counseling from people with no stake in which plan you pick. Federal law requires its counselors, volunteers included, to have no conflict of interest. Your state may not call it SHIP, so searching your state plus "SHIP" may turn up nothing.,,,

In This Guide

What Free Medicare Counseling From SHIP Actually Is

SHIP gives free, personalized, and unbiased health insurance counseling to people with Medicare, their families, and their caregivers. Medicare itself sends you there. Medicare.gov tells beneficiaries to "Visit shiphelp.org to get the phone number for your local SHIP and get free, personalized health insurance counseling," and separately says SHIPs "provide free, personalized counseling to you and your family".,

The counseling is personalized. You bring your situation, your drug list, and whatever coverage you already have. Before you call, pull together your Medicare card, your current plan's name if you have one, and a list of your medications and doctors. A trained counselor works through it with you.

SHIPs are state programs that get money from the federal government to give local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare. Medicare & You 2026 states it flatly: SHIPs aren't connected to any insurance company or health plan.

ACL, which runs SHIP, describes the job the same way. ACL puts the SHIP mission as educating and assisting Medicare-eligible people through objective outreach and counseling, and says SHIP team members are tasked with providing unbiased, objective information on health insurance options.

Why It's Free, and What Makes It Unbiased

Free is the easy half. ACL funds the state SHIP programs through grants, so there's no bill to send you.

Unbiased is the half that deserves proof.

What does federal law actually require?

Federal law sets a condition on SHIP grant money. A state applying for it has to submit a plan. That plan's program has to give assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing the counseling. The SHIP no-conflict-of-interest assurance sits at 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4(b)(2)(D), enacted as Section 4360(b)(2)(D) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.

Two details matter. The SHIP assurance names volunteers explicitly, so it doesn't stop at paid staff. And the assurance isn't optional garnish: a state has to put it in the SHIP grant application to get the money at all.

Can an insurance agent be a SHIP counselor?

ACL draws a harder line. ACL's conflict-of-interest guidance states that no individual may be a licensed insurance agent and a SHIP team member at the same time, and identifies that combination as a violation of the SHIP statute.

ACL's remedy is removal, one way or the other. Either the insurance license goes before the person is accepted as a SHIP team member, or team-member status goes. ACL's stated reason is that the program can't ensure a team member holding an active insurance license would perform their program duties in an unbiased manner.

So the license is the line. A retired insurance agent who has given up the license can be accepted as a SHIP team member; someone holding an active insurance license cannot be a SHIP team member.

One caution: ACL's conflict-of-interest document is guidance, not a regulation. But ACL attributes the prohibition to the SHIP statute, and the statute is right there in the U.S. Code.,

What SHIP Can Help You With

Medicare.gov and CMS's Medicare Advantage booklet list the Medicare questions SHIP counseling helps with:

If your claim or coverage was denied, that last item is the one that matters. Medicare.gov's appeals page answers the question "Can someone help me file an appeal?" by pointing you to your SHIP, and its contact page says SHIPs help people with Medicare and their families choose a plan, review coverage, understand costs, apply for Extra Help, and file a complaint or an appeal. Unbiased governs how a counselor behaves, not how much they will do for you: a counselor cannot steer you toward a particular insurer's plan, and can still sit with your denial notice and help you file.

Choosing a plan is only half the job. SHIP is also meant to help you get coverage. ACL states that SHIP team members are highly trained and certified to assist people in obtaining coverage through Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Part D drug coverage, and Medigap.

SHIP also helps people with limited income apply for Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs, and Extra Help, the Part D low-income subsidy. If you want the income and resource limits in front of you before you call, read our guides to Extra Help and the Medicare Savings Programs first.

Who Runs SHIP, and Who Pays for It?

SHIP is administered by ACL, an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ACL's Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling manages SHIP and funds the state programs through grants.

SHIPs were created under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, which authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make the grants. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, SHIP moved from CMS to ACL in 2014, so anything calling SHIP CMS-funded describes the arrangement before then.

Delivery is a state job. SHIP services are delivered by state units on aging or state departments of insurance, working with local area agencies on aging and other community-based partners. That's why the program has a different address from state to state. Delaware's SHIP, the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau, runs out of the state Department of Insurance and is funded in part by an ACL grant.

SHIP isn't staffed only by volunteers. ACL describes the national SHIP network's team members as staff, in-kind professionals, and volunteers, and says SHIP recruits and trains both volunteer and in-kind team members. ACL also states that SHIP team members are highly trained and certified.

How to Find Free Medicare Counseling in Your State

Two routes, both official.

  1. Go to shiphelp.org and use the "Find Local Medicare Help" locator at the top of the page. shiphelp.org also tells consumers they can call the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center at 1-877-839-2675.
  2. Open Medicare & You 2026 to pages 114-117. That's the handbook's per-state SHIP phone directory, and the handbook tells beneficiaries to go there for the phone number of their local SHIP.

Use the locator rather than a search engine. There are 54 SHIPs, one for every state plus Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, so one covers every state and territory. But your state's may not use the name "SHIP." Search your state plus "SHIP" and you may turn up nothing, then reasonably conclude the program doesn't operate where you live. Check the locator before you conclude that. shiphelp.org notes your SHIP may go by a different name or acronym, and lists HICAP, SHICK, SHINE, and VICAP as examples of those state program names. Each is a state's own SHIP operating under a local name, not a separate program.

shiphelp.org is the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center's site, and Medicare's own handbook points beneficiaries to it by name.

When a Broker Is the Better Call

SHIP is the right first call when you want a neutral read on your options. It isn't the right call for everything.

Judge SHIP and a broker by what each is built to do.

SHIP Broker
What it does Advises and assists with Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap Sells policies
Can sell you a policy No. Anyone holding an active insurance license cannot be a SHIP team member Yes, if licensed
Tied to an insurer No. SHIP isn't connected to any insurance company or health plan Depends on the agent

SHIP is built to advise and assist. SHIP team members are certified across Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap, and if money is tight they'll look at Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs, and Extra Help alongside the plans. SHIP isn't connected to any insurance company or health plan. That's the point of it, and it's also the boundary: SHIP has no product to sell you.

A broker is built to transact. A SHIP team member cannot sell you a policy, because ACL's conflict-of-interest guidance bars anyone holding an active insurance license from SHIP team-member status. SHIP's independence is exactly what stops SHIP from doing that work, and ACL's guidance keeps the two roles in separate people.

Call SHIP first if you want your options laid out by someone with no stake in which one you pick, if money is tight and the assistance programs need weighing alongside the plans, or if you're deciding between Medigap and Medicare Advantage and don't want that conversation to be a sales conversation.

Call a broker when you know what you want and want to buy it through a licensed agent. SHIP team members can't sell you a policy.

Get the neutral read first. Then transact with whoever you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call SHIP about my parent's Medicare?

Yes. SHIP counseling is for people with Medicare, their families, and their caregivers, not the beneficiary alone. Medicare.gov says SHIPs help people with Medicare and their families, from choosing a plan to filing an appeal.,

Will a SHIP counselor fill in my enrollment application?

SHIP counseling covers enrollment, not just explaining your options. Whether a counselor will key the application in for you is a different question, so ask the counselor how far they go when you call.

Free Medicare Counseling by State

Find your state's program:

Alabama SHIPView guide Alaska SHIP (Medicare Information Office)View guide Arizona SHIPView guide Arkansas SHIIPView guide California HICAPView guide Colorado SHIPView guide Connecticut CHOICESView guide Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB)View guide DC SHIPView guide Florida SHINEView guide Georgia SHIP (GeorgiaCares)View guide Hawaii SHIPView guide Idaho SHIBAView guide Illinois SHIPView guide Indiana SHIPView guide Iowa SHIIPView guide Kansas SHICKView guide Kentucky SHIPView guide Louisiana SHIIP (LaSHIP)View guide Maine SHIPView guide Maryland SHIPView guide Massachusetts SHINEView guide Michigan SHIP (MMAP)View guide Minnesota Aging Pathways (SHIP)View guide Mississippi SHIPView guide Missouri SHIPView guide Montana SHIPView guide Nebraska SHIPView guide Nevada Medicare Assistance Program (MAP)View guide New Hampshire SHIPView guide New Jersey SHIPView guide New Mexico SHIPView guide New York HIICAPView guide North Carolina SHIIPView guide North Dakota SHIPView guide Ohio OSHIIPView guide Oklahoma SHIPView guide Oregon SHIBAView guide Pennsylvania PA MEDIView guide Rhode Island SHIPView guide South Carolina SHIPView guide South Dakota SHIINEView guide Tennessee SHIPView guide Texas HICAPView guide Utah SHIPView guide Vermont SHIPView guide Virginia VICAPView guide Washington SHIBAView guide West Virginia SHIPView guide Wisconsin SHIPView guide Wyoming WSHIIPView guide
51 states

Learn More

MedicareWhat Is Medicare? Parts A, B, C, and D ExplainedWhat is Medicare? A plain guide to Parts A, B, C, and D, who qualifies, 2026 costs, when to enroll, and what it doesn't cover, with help-paying options. MedicareMedicare Extra Help: The Part D Low-Income SubsidyMedicare Extra Help can cut Part D drug costs to a few dollars a prescription. See 2026 income and resource limits, what it pays, and how to apply. MedicareMedicare Savings Programs: Help Paying Premiums and CostsMedicare Savings Programs help low-income enrollees pay Part B premiums and, with QMB, Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. See the four MSPs and 2026 limits. MedicareMedigap (Medicare Supplement): How the Lettered Plans WorkMedigap (Medicare Supplement) explained: how the standardized A-N plans work, Plan G vs Plan N, closed C and F plans, and the 6-month guaranteed-issue window. MedicareHow Medicare Part D WorksMedicare Part D in 2026 and 2027: the $2,100 out-of-pocket cap rising to $2,400, the $615 and $700 deductibles, premiums, the late penalty, and Extra Help. MedicareOriginal Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: How to ChooseCompare original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage on cost, networks, the $9,250 cap, and switching back. A neutral 2026 side-by-side to help you choose.

Find personalized help getting free, unbiased Medicare counseling in your state 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.

Still have questions?

Brevy answers from this guide and every other guide here, and can check what you qualify for.

BC

Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.