Vermont SHIP Medicare Help at Your Area Agency on Aging (2026)

Vermont SHIP Medicare help comes from certified counselors at Vermont's five Area Agencies on Aging, and you reach them through one HelpLine number, 1-800-642-5119.1 Medicare.gov describes SHIP counseling as free and personalized, and says SHIPs aren't connected to any insurance company or health plan.2 So when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Vermont, or a parent's drug costs jump, this is the call to make first, and it costs you nothing.

In This Guide

• How Vermont Runs SHIP Through Five Area Agencies on Aging
• If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Left Vermont
• What a Vermont SHIP Counselor Can Help With
• Getting Help With Medicare Costs in Vermont
• When Medicare Says No
• Is a Vermont SHIP Counselor Selling Anything?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How Vermont Runs SHIP Through Five Area Agencies on Aging

On paper, Vermont SHIP belongs to the state. Vermont's State Health Insurance Program is run by the Adult Services Division, a division of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), and it gives information, assistance and support to people on Medicare who need help choosing or managing their health insurance.2 You'll also see it called the Vermont State Health Insurance Assistance Program; that's the name the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation uses, with the same 1-800-642-5119 number.2

In practice, though, the people you talk to work at the regional agencies. The Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging says each of Vermont's five Area Agencies on Aging offices has certified SHIP staff.1 Vermont's Adult Services Division names the five agencies this way:

You don't need to work out which agency covers your town. Calling the Vermont SHIP HelpLine at 800-642-5119 directs you to the Area Agency on Aging in your area.1

The same number reaches more than Medicare help. The Department of Vermont Health Access lists 1-800-642-5119 as the Vermont Senior Helpline for help applying for Choices for Care, Vermont's Medicaid long-term care program, and the five Area Agencies on Aging also deliver the state's Older Americans Act services, including family caregiver support.6 If a parent's Medicare questions come bundled with a care question, it's still the same call; just say which one you need first. Our guide to getting paid as a family caregiver in Vermont covers the Choices for Care side.

If Your Medicare Advantage Plan Left Vermont

This is the Vermont-specific reason to call. The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation says that since 2023, many health insurers have left Vermont's Medicare Advantage marketplace, and that as a result Vermonters are re-examining the Medicare Supplement marketplace.3 The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation's Medicare Supplement 101 page adds that as of October 1, 2025, few Medicare Advantage plans were offered for sale in Vermont.3

So a lot of Vermonters are looking hard at Medigap (Medicare Supplement insurance) for the first time. The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation says consumers may apply for Medicare Supplement plans throughout the year, depending on their eligibility, and it also warns that rules restrict your ability to change between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans.3 "Depending on your eligibility" is the part to have checked by someone with no stake in the answer. Medicare Supplemental Insurance is on the Vermont Area Agencies on Aging's list of what their SHIP staff counsel on.1

Before the call, it helps to know the rules a counselor will be working from. Our Vermont Medigap guide covers the six-month open enrollment window, guaranteed-issue situations when a plan leaves, and Vermont's rules for buying a policy under 65.

What a Vermont SHIP Counselor Can Help With

The Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging lists what its certified SHIP staff counsel Medicare beneficiaries, and people about to become eligible, on:1

• Eligibility and enrollment in every part of Medicare: A, B, C and D
• Open enrollment, and help selecting a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
• Coverage options, including Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans
• Enrollment and eligibility for programs that help pay Medicare's costs
• Enrollment and eligibility for other health care programs, including Medicaid and VPharm
• Medicare Supplemental Insurance
• Long-term care insurance

Timing matters for the drug-plan item. Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and changes you make then take effect January 1.7 Calling Vermont SHIP in October rather than December leaves room for a second conversation if the first one raises questions. Our Medicare Open Enrollment guide covers what you can change in that window.

Getting Help With Medicare Costs in Vermont

Vermont's Medicare Savings Programs are more generous than the federal standard in one way that rules a lot of people back in. The Department of Vermont Health Access says there's no resource (asset) limit for its Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI) programs, so only income counts, not savings or property.4 For 2026, DVHA's monthly income limit for the QMB program is $1,995 for a single person and $2,707 for a couple, at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, and QMB pays Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.4 Vermont also ended the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program on December 31, 2025, and moved most former SLMB members into QMB automatically.4

DVHA's own advice is to apply even if your income is above the listed limits, and you can apply through DVHA or by calling 1-800-250-8427.4 Our guide to Vermont Medicare Savings Programs has the QI and QDWI tiers.

Drug costs have a second Vermont layer. VPharm is Vermont's State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, and it wraps around Medicare Part D rather than replacing it, so you must be enrolled in a Part D plan to qualify.8 Because a Vermont SHIP counselor works on both the Part D choice and VPharm eligibility, one call can line the two up.1 The income bands and monthly premiums are in our VPharm guide.

When Medicare Says No

A denial letter is a good reason to call Vermont SHIP. Medicare's own guide, "Medicare Appeals" (April 2026), tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals.9 The appeal levels and deadlines are laid out in our guide to Medicare appeals. A Medicaid or VPharm decision is a different, state process, so tell the counselor which program sent the letter.

Is a Vermont SHIP Counselor Selling Anything?

The protection here is written into federal law, not just a promise on a website. 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.10 The Administration for Community Living conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP names anyone who receives compensation for enrolling beneficiaries in a specific insurance plan as an example of a person with an inherent conflict.10

That doesn't make a broker the wrong choice for everyone. Our comparison of SHIP counselors and Medicare brokers explains how each one is paid and when a broker can make sense.

Learn More

Find personalized help getting free Vermont SHIP counseling on a Medigap, drug plan or Medicare 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.