Hawaii SHIP

What We Do

The mission of the State Health Insurance Assistance Program is to empower, educate, and assist Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers through objective outreach, counseling, and training to make informed health insurance decisions that optimize access to care and benefits.

Hawaii SHIP, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, is federally funded by the Administration for Community Living and administered by the Hawaii Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging. Our Medicare-certified counselors provide free, unbiased, local, one-on-one Medicare counseling to beneficiaries, their loved ones, caregivers, and soon-to-be retirees. We also offer free, virtual presentations on Medicare-related topics and participate in health fairs and exhibitions for older adults and people with disabilities.

Who We Are

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) was created under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. The law authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer grants to states to establish and maintain health insurance advisory service programs for Medicare beneficiaries. There is a SHIP in every state and in four territories: District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Grant funds support educational, counseling, and assistance activities related to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance options.

The program was transferred from CMS to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. This transfer reflects the existing formal and informal collaborations between the SHIPs and the networks that ACL serves. ACL’s Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling manages the SHIP grant.

Cause Areas

Kupuna, Special Needs, Gender & Equality, Social Services, Health & Wellness, Community Engagement, Military & Veterans