State Health Insurance Counseling Assistance Program (SHIP)

What is the Montana SHIP Program? The Montana SHIP (State Health Insurance Counseling Program) provides information, counseling, and assistance to Montana Medicare beneficiaries, family members, caregivers, and local professionals. Montana SHIP is a statewide network of volunteers and staff who are trained to deliver the most current Medicare information available.

What is a SHIP Counselor? The Montana SHIP program consists of over 100 certified counselors throughout the state. They are men and women of all ages who have received extensive training in the areas of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, insurance, and other related fields. Area II has several SHIP counselors on staff to help with these issues.

How can SHIP help? SHIP counselors provide FREE and OBJECTIVE one-to-one counseling on topics such as:

• Medicare
• Medicare Reform
• Prescription Drugs
• Supplemental Insurance
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Long-Term Care Financing Options

Who sponsors SHIP? The Montana SHIP program is part of the Office on Aging/Senior & Long Term Care Division of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. It is supported by a grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.