If you or a parent in South Carolina are stuck on a Part D, Medigap or Medicare Advantage choice, South Carolina SHIP Medicare counseling is free and one-on-one: call 1-800-868-9095. The South Carolina State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, one-on-one insurance counseling to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers through the South Carolina Department on Aging (SCDOA) and local Area Agencies on Aging. South Carolina SHIP also goes by I-CARE (Insurance Counseling Assistance and Referrals for Elders), so if a doctor's office or a neighbor tells you to "call I-CARE," this is the same free program.

In This Guide

What Is South Carolina SHIP, and Why Is It Also Called I-CARE?

South Carolina SHIP is the state's part of the national State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) network. The South Carolina Department on Aging names the program the State Health Insurance Assistance Program on its Medicare and Medicare Fraud page, and describes South Carolina SHIP as a grant-funded project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL). For you, that means the counseling itself is free.

The second name shows up on state and regional sites. GetCareSC.com, the resource site the South Carolina Department on Aging maintains, says South Carolina's SHIP is also called the Insurance Counseling Assistance and Referrals for Elders (I-Care) program. Regional agencies use that name too: the Lowcountry Council of Governments calls its program ICARE and describes it as the State of South Carolina's local SHIP, and the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments calls it SHIP, alternately known as I-CARE.

So the name you hear depends on who you ask. If a regional office says I-CARE and the state page says SHIP, you haven't landed on the wrong program. ACL's SHIP overview flyer, which describes SHIP as a national program with offices across the country, says that depending on your area, you may know your local SHIP by another name, but the support it provides is the same.

Our South Carolina Medicare plans and coverage guide covers costs and plan choices across the state, and our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP explains how SHIPs work everywhere. This page goes deeper into how South Carolina SHIP itself works.

Who Can Use South Carolina SHIP Medicare Counseling?

The eligibility rule is short. If you are eligible for Medicare, you are eligible for South Carolina SHIP counseling, according to GetCareSC.com. The South Carolina Department on Aging says South Carolina SHIP counseling is open to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers.

That family and caregiver piece matters if you're the one sorting out a parent's coverage, because a daughter comparing Part D plans for her father can get South Carolina SHIP counseling as his family member.

You may also want to know who is behind the advice. GetCareSC.com describes South Carolina SHIP as a free health benefits counseling service that is funded by federal agencies and not associated with any insurance agency. Our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how the two differ.

How Do You Get South Carolina SHIP Medicare Counseling?

South Carolina SHIP has two doors: the statewide number and your local Area Agency on Aging.

  1. Call the state line. The South Carolina Department on Aging tells people who want more information to call 1-800-868-9095. The SHIP National Technical Assistance Center's South Carolina page on shiphelp.org lists 1-800-868-9095 as the call number for South Carolina's State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
  2. Call your local Area Agency on Aging. GetCareSC.com says that to speak to a South Carolina SHIP counselor, you call your local Area Agency on Aging and tell them you're interested in the SHIP program. GetCareSC.com has a search on its insurance counseling page for finding your local agency's phone number.

At the regional level, the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments tells people who want help with Medicare information and Part D enrollment to contact the SHIP counselor for their area. Our guide to Area Agencies on Aging explains what else these local offices do.

ACL's national SHIP overview flyer 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.

What Can a South Carolina SHIP Counselor Help You With?

The South Carolina Department on Aging lists five things South Carolina SHIP counselors do:

  • Answer questions about Medicare benefits and coverage.
  • Help compare and enroll in Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Prescription Drug (Part D) plans.
  • Provide guidance on Medigap (Supplemental) policies and how retiree insurance works with Medicare.
  • Assist with Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, and Low-Income Subsidies.
  • Help resolve billing problems, explain appeal rights, and connect people with low-income assistance programs.

The retiree-insurance item is worth a call on its own. If you're turning 65 with coverage from a former employer, a South Carolina SHIP counselor can give guidance on how that retiree insurance works with Medicare before you make a change. If you're weighing a Medigap policy, our South Carolina Medicare Supplement guide covers the state's plan options.

Counseling is delivered locally, and three regional agencies describe their own South Carolina SHIP work in more detail. Each description below belongs to the region that published it and isn't a promise about every county.

Regional agency Name it uses What its page says counselors do
Lowcountry Council of Governments ICARE, the State of South Carolina's local SHIP Help you understand your insurance needs, answer questions about your current insurance coverage and Medicare, identify the federal or state assistance programs you're eligible to apply for, and assist with Medicare claims or billing questions
Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments SHIP, alternately known as I-CARE Help with Medicare information and Part D enrollment through the SHIP counselor for your area
Appalachian Council of Governments Benefits Counselors at the Appalachian Area Agency on Aging Assist beneficiaries all year long with plan issues, claim appeals and subsidy programs

The Lowcountry Council of Governments also describes its ICARE program as a free, unbiased, confidential service through which SHIP certified insurance counselors can provide clear, objective information.

A South Carolina SHIP counselor can also help if Medicare turns down a claim. Medicare's official national "Medicare Appeals" guide tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. ACL's national SHIP overview flyer says that with your permission, SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf, and that SHIP is not paid per enrollment. Appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals, and Medicare.gov explains the Parts of Medicare if you want the basics first.

Can South Carolina SHIP Help You Pay for Medicare?

Yes, by helping you find and apply for the programs that lower Medicare costs. The South Carolina Department on Aging says South Carolina SHIP counselors assist with Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, and Low-Income Subsidies, and connect people with low-income assistance programs.

GetCareSC.com adds a practical tip: savings programs to help pay for Medicare Part B premiums exist, and to find out if you're eligible, you can talk to a South Carolina SHIP counselor at your local Area Agency on Aging. If you're unsure whether your income is low enough to qualify, that uncertainty is the reason to call rather than a reason to skip it.

Our guides to South Carolina Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Savings Programs nationally, and Extra Help with drug costs explain each program's rules.

How Do You Report Medicare Fraud in South Carolina?

Suspected fraud goes to South Carolina's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), which the South Carolina Department on Aging runs alongside South Carolina SHIP. The South Carolina Department on Aging says SMP helps Medicare beneficiaries, families, and caregivers prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse, and that SMP is also a grant-funded project of HHS and ACL.

The South Carolina Department on Aging describes three parts of how South Carolina SMP works:

  • Outreach and education: presentations, community events, and one-on-one support.
  • Volunteer engagement: volunteers help protect older adults' health, finances, and Medicare identity.
  • Beneficiary complaints: South Carolina SMP investigates concerns of possible fraud or abuse and refers cases to state and federal agencies for follow-up.

For South Carolina SMP, the South Carolina Department on Aging lists 1-800-868-9095, or you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging. In the Upstate, the Appalachian Council of Governments says the Appalachian Area Agency on Aging houses the SMP program for its region.

At the federal level, ACL says SMPs work to resolve beneficiary complaints of potential health care fraud in collaboration with partners that include the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), state Medicaid fraud control units, and state attorneys general.

Our guide to Medicare fraud protection explains common scams, and Medicare.gov's page on reporting Medicare fraud covers the federal route.

How Do You Volunteer With South Carolina SHIP?

To volunteer with South Carolina SHIP, the South Carolina Department on Aging says to call 1-800-868-9095 or contact your local Area Agency on Aging. South Carolina's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) also lists volunteer engagement as one of the three parts of its work, described in the fraud section above.

Expect training before you counsel anyone. ACL's national SHIP overview flyer says SHIP counselors are members of your local community who have been screened, trained, and certified as Medicare experts, and many are volunteers. In South Carolina's Appalachian region, the Appalachian Council of Governments says benefit counselors at the Appalachian Area Agency on Aging are state certified through the Office on Aging.

There's one firm national limit on who can serve. Federal law (42 U.S.C. 1395b-4) requires each state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that SHIP staff members, including volunteer staff members, have no conflict of interest in providing counseling. ACL's conflict-of-interest resource says no person with a personal, philosophical, or financial conflict of interest in connection with the SHIP or SMP work may serve as a volunteer, and gives one example: anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan or plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is South Carolina SHIP the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

No. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except some federal holidays, and TTY (text telephone) users call 1-877-486-2048. South Carolina SHIP is South Carolina's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, a grant-funded project of HHS and ACL that gives free, one-on-one counseling through the South Carolina Department on Aging and local Area Agencies on Aging.

When should I call South Carolina SHIP about next year's plan?

Call a South Carolina SHIP counselor before or early in Medicare Open Enrollment, which runs October 15 to December 7 each year. Changes made during Medicare Open Enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year, and the plan must get your enrollment request by December 7. Our guide to Medicare Open Enrollment explains what you can change, and the Medicare Plan Finder lets you compare plans on Medicare.gov.

What if I'm unhappy with my Medicare Advantage plan after January 1?

People already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan have a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31 each year, when they can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and add a drug plan. A South Carolina SHIP counselor can help you compare and enroll in Medicare Advantage and Part D plans before you use that one change.

How do I find a SHIP if my parent lives outside South Carolina?

Medicare's "Medicare Appeals" guide says you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the phone number for the SHIP in any state.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in South CarolinaMedicare in South Carolina for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, savings programs through SCDHHS, and free SHIP counseling. 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. MedicareSouth Carolina Medicare Supplement GuideSouth Carolina Medigap rules: the one-time six-month window at 65, the state health insurance pool route under 65, and the 63-day guaranteed-issue deadlines. MedicaidSouth Carolina Medicare Savings ProgramsSouth Carolina Medicare Savings Programs 2026: QMB, SLMB, and QI income limits, what each pays, Part D Extra Help, and how to apply through SCDHHS. 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. MedicareMedicare Fraud ProtectionProtect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams. How to guard your Medicare Number, spot common scams, check your statements, and report fraud fast.

For free, one-on-one South Carolina SHIP counseling, call the South Carolina Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095, or call your local Area Agency on Aging and ask for the SHIP program.

Find personalized help getting free South Carolina 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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