The Washington SHIBA program gives people with Medicare free, unbiased and confidential help from trained volunteers. SHIBA stands for Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors, and its pages sit with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), which lists SHIBA's phone number as 800-562-6900. If someone told you to "call SHIBA" about a parent's plan, a confusing letter or a bill you can't afford, this guide explains what a SHIBA volunteer can do and how to get an appointment with the SHIBA office near you.

In This Guide

What Is the Washington SHIBA Program?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner describes Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) as volunteers who can help you understand the different parts of Medicare, assess your needs, and help you enroll in Medicare and assistance programs. The OIC says SHIBA volunteers provide free, unbiased and confidential help with Medicare. The OIC also speaks of SHIBA's advisors as its own volunteers and sends people to them for help understanding Medicare appeals and their rights.

Washington's SHIBA program, part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), is one of the nation's State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), and the OIC says SHIBA was the very first such program in the nation, in operation since 1979. The federal Administration for Community Living (ACL) describes the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) as a national program of ACL, with offices across the country, that provides unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. In ACL's words, depending on your area, you may know your local SHIP by another name, but the support it provides is the same.

Medicare's April 2026 guide Medicare Appeals (CMS Product No. 11525) 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, and says that to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state, you can visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE. For how SHIP counseling works nationally, see our guide to free Medicare counseling through your SHIP, and for how free counseling looks in two other states, see our guides to Ohio's OSHIIP and California's HICAP. The wider Washington picture, including costs and plan types, is in our Washington Medicare plans and coverage guide.

What Can a SHIBA Volunteer Help You With?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner lists six things SHIBA can help you do. According to the OIC, a SHIBA volunteer can help you:

  • Get started with Medicare
  • Compare health care plans
  • Compare prescription drug plans
  • Switch plans during open enrollment
  • Understand a letter you got
  • Save money

The OIC says SHIBA volunteers can also refer you to other agencies or programs that can help. That referral role matters when the real problem sits outside Medicare itself, because a volunteer who understands the question can point you to the office that owns the answer.

"Understand a letter you got" is worth taking literally. Medicare and plan notices are written in their own dense language, and a denial, a plan change or a premium notice can be hard to act on without someone reading it alongside you. If a letter is the reason you're calling SHIBA, keep it in front of you during the conversation so the volunteer can work from the actual wording.

ACL's national description of SHIP help fills in what a counseling session looks like in practice. ACL says that when you contact your local SHIP, a certified counselor gives you one-on-one guidance based on your unique situation and needs. ACL lists understanding your choices, how to enroll, plan comparison, coverage and costs, paying for Medicare and prescriptions, and referral to other resources among the kinds of help SHIPs give. ACL also says SHIP isn't just for people new to Medicare, and the OIC's own list for SHIBA includes switching plans during open enrollment, a question for people already on Medicare.

How Do You Get a SHIBA Appointment in Washington?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner gives several ways to reach SHIBA, and the easiest one depends on whether you already know which local office serves your county.

1
Step 1

Call the Insurance Consumer Hotline

To schedule an appointment with a SHIBA advisor, the OIC says to call the Insurance Consumer Hotline at 800-562-6900 and ask to be connected with your local SHIBA office. The OIC lists the SHIBA line's hours as 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

2
Step 2

Use the TDD line if you need one

The OIC lists a TDD line for Washington SHIBA at 360-586-0241.

3
Step 3

Or find your local SHIBA office yourself

The OIC's find a local SHIBA office directory lets you enter your zip code or choose your county to find a sponsor. The OIC says to contact your local SHIBA office by phone or email to schedule an appointment.

4
Step 4

Or send the online form

The OIC offers an online SHIBA help form for health care coverage questions, and asks people not to include personal health information, Social Security numbers or other confidential information in it.

5
Step 5

Or go to a counseling event

The OIC publishes a calendar of Medicare counseling sessions and events that you can filter by date, county, sponsor or type of event.

The OIC's SHIBA directory lists local sponsor organizations county by county. Entries in the OIC's SHIBA directory include the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington for Clark County, Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington (previously named Olympic Area Agency on Aging) for Clallam County, Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington for Benton County, and Action Health Partners for Adams, Chelan and Douglas counties. The four sponsors named above are examples rather than the full list, so check the OIC directory for the sponsor that serves your own county.

The OIC says local SHIBA offices can help you understand and work through your Medicare options, and its directory is built to find your nearest SHIBA office. If you're helping a parent who lives in a different county from you, search by the parent's zip code or county rather than your own.

Can SHIBA Help You Pay for Medicare?

Yes, paying for Medicare is squarely on the Washington SHIBA list. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says SHIBA volunteers can explain how to get help paying for Medicare premiums or prescription drugs, and that SHIBA can help you determine eligibility and apply for assistance programs if you qualify. The OIC's page on getting help paying for Medicare names two programs.

The first is the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). The OIC says the Medicare Savings Program helps people on Medicare pay for all or part of their premiums. If you qualify, the OIC says a Medicare Savings Program may cover your Medicare Part A premiums, Part B premiums, coinsurance, copayments and deductibles. The OIC says the Medicare Savings Program can cover you whether you have Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C). On the paperwork, the OIC notes that Medicare Savings Programs "don't require you to share information about your resources, such as bank account balances."

The OIC says you can apply online for Medicare Savings Program help through Washington Connection, and that for help applying you can contact your local SHIBA program or call 800-562-6900 and ask to be connected to your local SHIBA office. Income limits and the details of each savings program are covered in our national guide to Medicare Savings Programs.

The second is Extra Help, which the OIC says can help pay for prescription drugs if you qualify. The OIC says you can apply online for Medicare Extra Help through the Social Security Administration, and that to get help applying you can contact your local SHIBA program or call 800-562-6900 and ask to be connected to your local SHIBA office. For how Extra Help works, see our guide to Medicare Extra Help.

Can SHIBA Help If Your Plan Denies Something?

The first thing to know is that Washington sends two kinds of coverage disputes down two different roads, and the road depends on the type of plan.

Your problem Where the OIC says it goes Where SHIBA fits
Your Medicare supplement (Medigap) plan's decision on coverage or payment A complaint with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, which regulates these plans for Washington state SHIBA can help you understand a letter you got
Your plan denies a service, supply, item or prescription drug, or payment for one An appeal with Medicare SHIBA volunteers help with understanding the appeals process and your rights
You suspect Medicare fraud, errors or abuse A SHIBA volunteer, or the online report form for the Washington State Senior Medicare Patrol SHIBA volunteers help answer your questions and report your concerns to investigators

The table above draws on the OIC's appeals, SHIBA services and fraud pages.,

For a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, the OIC says that if you disagree with your Medigap plan's decision on coverage or payment, you can file a complaint with the OIC, which regulates these plans for Washington state. Washington's Medigap rules are covered in our Washington Medicare Supplement guide.

For everything else, the OIC says you can file an appeal with Medicare if your plan denies a request in any of these situations:

  • A request for a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug that you think you should be able to get
  • A request for payment of a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug you already received
  • A request to change how much you need to pay for a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug

The OIC says you can also appeal if Medicare or your plan stops providing or paying for all or part of a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug you think you still need.

According to the OIC, the Medicare appeals process has five levels, and if you disagree with a decision at any level you can generally go to the next one. The OIC says the decision letter at each level gives instructions on moving to the next level, and that it is very important to provide documents and information on time when you appeal. Read each decision letter the day it arrives, because the next step and its instructions are in that letter. How the five levels work, step by step, is laid out in our guide to appealing a Medicare denial.

The OIC says that for help with understanding the appeals process and your rights, you can contact its SHIBA volunteers. Medicare's Medicare Appeals guide tells people with Medicare to call their SHIP for free, personalized health insurance counseling, including help with appeals. Nationally, ACL says SHIPs can assist with 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. When you call SHIBA about a denial, ask the volunteer directly how much of the appeal they can take on with you, since the OIC's own SHIBA pages describe the appeals role as help understanding the process and your rights.

How Does SHIBA Help With Medicare Fraud?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says SHIBA volunteers and the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) help Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers prevent, notice and report Medicare fraud. The OIC says SHIBA volunteers and Washington SMP can provide everyone involved in your care with the information and tools to find and prevent fraud before it happens. If you suspect Medicare fraud has already happened, the OIC says SHIBA volunteers will help answer your questions and report your concerns to investigators.

To report suspected Medicare fraud, errors or abuse in Washington, the OIC says you can speak to one of its volunteers or use its online fraud report form to report it to the Washington State Senior Medicare Patrol. If a parent gets a call or a bill that doesn't look right, either route is a reasonable first step.

The OIC's Medicare fraud tips include these warnings:

  • If a caller claims to be from Medicare, the OIC says to hang up.
  • The OIC says Medicare will never contact you to ask for personal information.
  • The OIC says Medicare and Medicaid do not endorse any plans and do not offer "preferred" plans.
  • The OIC says insurance companies, agents and brokers cannot offer gifts or enticements to enroll in plans.
  • The OIC says plan representatives cannot use pressure or scare tactics to make you enroll in plans.

The OIC's last two tips are worth sharing with a parent before open enrollment.

How Do You Become a SHIBA Volunteer in Washington?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says SHIBA volunteer advisors are trained to give you the latest Medicare and health care coverage information. Nationally, ACL says SHIP counselors are members of your local community who have been screened, trained, and certified as Medicare experts, and that many are volunteers.

If you're thinking about volunteering, the OIC says you don't have to know Medicare to become a SHIBA volunteer because SHIBA will train you, and that speaking another language in addition to English is a bonus. The OIC lists these roles for SHIBA volunteers:

  • Counsel others on their Medicare options
  • Participate in outreach activities
  • Give presentations to the public
  • Fight Medicare fraud
  • Work on special projects
  • Provide clerical support

The OIC says you can talk with your local volunteer coordinator to see if volunteering for SHIBA is right for you. The local sponsor listed for your county in the OIC's SHIBA directory is a sensible place to start that conversation.

What Keeps Free Medicare Counseling Independent of Insurers?

A federal independence rule applies to SHIP counseling programs across the country. Federal law, at 42 U.S.C. 1395b-4, requires a state's SHIP grant plan to provide assurances that staff members, including volunteer staff members, of the health insurance counseling program have no conflict of interest in providing that counseling.

ACL's conflict-of-interest resource for SHIP and SMP programs says no person who has a conflict of interest in connection with the work they will do at the SMP or SHIP, whether personal, philosophical, or financial, may serve as a volunteer. The same ACL resource says SHIP and SMP volunteers do not promote any personal or business interest while undertaking their assignment. ACL 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 lines up with that rule. 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. The OIC describes SHIBA's own help as unbiased. If you're weighing a SHIBA volunteer against a licensed agent or broker, our comparison of SHIP counseling and Medicare brokers walks through how each is paid and what that means for the advice you get.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SHIBA free?

Yes. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says Washington's Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) volunteers help with Medicare for free.

Can I call SHIBA for my parent?

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says Washington SHIBA volunteers help Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers prevent, notice and report Medicare fraud. Nationally, ACL says SHIPs provide unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers, and that with your permission a SHIP will work with Medicare directly to help solve problems on your behalf. If you are calling about a parent's Medicare, ask the SHIBA volunteer early in the call whether your parent needs to give permission or join the conversation.

Is SHIBA the same as 1-800-MEDICARE?

No, Washington SHIBA and 1-800-MEDICARE are two different lines. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official Medicare contact line for beneficiaries, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048. Medicare.gov says callers to 1-800-MEDICARE can talk or live chat with a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. Washington SHIBA's line, 800-562-6900, is answered 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to the OIC.

Do I need to know which county SHIBA office to call?

No. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says you can call its Insurance Consumer Hotline and ask to be connected with your local SHIBA office, so you do not have to work out your county's office first; the appointment steps above give the number and the directory.

Can SHIBA help with a Medigap claim problem?

If a Medigap plan in Washington turns down a claim, the OIC says you can file a complaint with the OIC, which regulates Medigap plans for Washington state. Understanding a letter you got is one of the six things the OIC says SHIBA can help with, so you can ask a SHIBA volunteer to go through the plan's decision letter with you.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in WashingtonMedicare in Washington for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, the year-round Medigap switching rule, Apple Health MSPs, and free SHIBA help. MedicareWashington Medicare Supplement (Medigap) GuideWashington Medicare Supplement (Medigap) guide: switch plans year-round with no health screening within the same plan group, Plan G vs N, and closed C and F. 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. 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. MedicareHow to Appeal a Medicare DenialA Medicare denial isn't final. Here's how to appeal one through all five levels, with 2026 deadlines, dollar thresholds, and the fast track for urgent care. MedicareMedicare Savings ProgramsMedicare Savings Programs help low-income enrollees pay Part B premiums and, with QMB, all cost-sharing. See the four MSPs, 2026 limits, and how to apply.

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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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