Utah SHIP Medicare Help: Which Number to Call (2026)

For free Medicare help anywhere in Utah, call 1-800-541-7735, the toll-free number the state's aging services division lists for SHIP.1 Utah SHIP Medicare help is free, one-on-one counseling for people with Medicare and their families, offered in every Utah county.2 The Utah Insurance Department calls the program the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).2 If your parent lives in another part of Utah, you can also call the aging agency for their county directly.

In This Guide

• How Utah Runs SHIP: Two Agencies, Two Names
• Utah SHIP Locations: Your County's Aging Agency
• Plan Choices, Enrollment and When to Call Utah SHIP
• Help Paying: Utah's Medicare Cost-Sharing Programs
• Medigap Questions Go to the Insurance Department Too
• A Medicare Denial or Appeal
• A Charge You Never Got: Same Line, Different Program
• Utah SHIP Advice Comes With No Insurer Attached
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How Utah Runs SHIP: Two Agencies, Two Names

Utah splits SHIP between two state agencies. The Utah Insurance Department publishes the program as the Senior Health Insurance Program, and says its Health Division works with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Aging and Adult Services to educate people about their Medicare choices.2

DAAS uses a slightly different name. Its Seniors Services page lists the "Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP)," and the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center's Utah listing uses that same name and points to the DAAS page as Utah's website.1 Both names mean the same Utah program. If someone tells you to "call SHIP," either one is right.

DAAS describes its own role as a link between the national Administration on Aging and local programs, the Area Agencies on Aging.1 DAAS points you to those local agencies for SHIP, too. On its Services page, the Utah SHIP listing links to "Locations (AAA)," and its Seniors Services page calls the same county directory the "SHIP locations map."1 In practice, that means the agency on the county table below is your local Utah SHIP door.

Utah SHIP Locations: Your County's Aging Agency

These are the agencies the DAAS county directory lists for each part of Utah, with the phone numbers as DAAS prints them.1 Call the one for the county where the person with Medicare lives.

A few entries need a note. DAAS lists the Mountainland office number under Summit and Wasatch counties; under Utah County it lists Mountainland senior centers instead. Morgan County's listing is the Morgan Senior Center, run by the Weber Area Agency on Aging. And the R6 Regional Council's senior centers appear on the map as the Six-County Area Agency on Aging.1

Plan Choices, Enrollment and When to Call Utah SHIP

SHIP counseling covers plan choices. Nationally, SHIP team members are trained and certified to help people get coverage through Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Part D drug plans and Medigap. Medicare.gov adds Medicare rights, billing problems, complaints about your care, and how Medicare works with other insurance.4

Timing matters for plan changes. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, and changes take effect January 1.5 Call Utah SHIP early in that window. Our Medicare Open Enrollment guide covers what you can change.

Ask one thing up front: will the counselor submit the enrollment with you, or help you compare and leave the sign-up to you? Practice varies. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reported in June 2026 that some SHIP grantees help enroll beneficiaries in Medicare plans.6 MedPAC also reported that SHIP funding hasn't kept pace with Medicare enrollment, and people it interviewed said counselors face capacity constraints as call volumes have risen.6 If Utah SHIP doesn't pick up on the first try, call again or try your county agency.

Help Paying: Utah's Medicare Cost-Sharing Programs

SHIP helps people with limited income apply for Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help with drug costs.4 That makes a Utah SHIP counselor a good first call if Medicare premiums are hard to cover.

Utah calls its Medicare Savings Programs the Medicare Cost-Sharing Programs. There are three: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI). For 2026, the QMB income limit that applies in Utah is $1,350 a month for one person, and the asset limit is $9,950.7 You can apply for Utah's Medicare Cost-Sharing Programs in person, by mail or online, including at any Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS) office.7 Every tier and limit is in our guide to Utah Medicare Savings Programs.

Medigap Questions Go to the Insurance Department Too

For a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) question, Utah gives you a second office. The Utah Insurance Department lists its Consumer Analyst team at (801) 957-9280, and points readers to medigap.utah.gov to compare annual Medigap premiums between insurance companies.3 The Department says the insurers supplied those rates, that they're representative only, and that you should contact each company for current, exact rates.3

Utah's open enrollment window, guaranteed-issue rights and under-65 rules are in our Utah Medigap guide. The federal side is in our guide to Medigap guaranteed-issue rights.

A Medicare Denial or Appeal

A denial letter is a good reason to call Utah SHIP. Medicare's own "Medicare Appeals" guide (April 2026) tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized counseling, including help with appeals.8 Keep the letter in front of you when you call. The appeal levels and deadlines are in our guide to Medicare appeals.

A Charge You Never Got: Same Line, Different Program

Billing errors and suspected fraud belong to the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). DAAS says Utah's SMP helps people with Medicare, their families and caregivers prevent, detect and report health care fraud, errors and abuse, and lists it at 1-800-541-7735, the same toll-free number as Utah SHIP.1 So one call to 1-800-541-7735 reaches both Utah SHIP and the Senior Medicare Patrol. Say which problem you have.

Before you call, check your statements. Medicare.gov's advice is to compare the dates and services on your calendar with the Medicare statements you get, 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.

Utah SHIP Advice Comes With No Insurer Attached

No insurer is behind Utah SHIP's advice. Medicare's handbook states that SHIPs are not connected to any insurance company or health plan.10

Federal law sets the bar. 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. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) names anyone paid for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan as an example of a person with an inherent conflict.11 A broker works differently, and sometimes a broker is still the right call. Our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains when.

Learn More

Find personalized help reaching Utah SHIP for a Medicare plan, cost or billing 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.