Insurance Counseling

In 1990, the nationwide State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) was launched to give a helping hand to people with Medicare.  The Mississippi SHIP is funded through a federal grant from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and administered through the Division of Aging.  SHIP is an unbiased source for information about Medicare and related insurances, fraud, abuse and consumer assistance.

Our SHIP coordinator can:

  • Provide unbiased information to Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers about Medicare and related health insurance benefits
  • Help with enrolling in or changing Medicare Part D
  • Provide information about Medicare options – we CANNOT sell anything
  • Provide Presentations at Senior Centers, Health Fairs, Agencies, and many other outreach events

We also offer information regarding the Mississippi Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) which is designed to help seniors identify Medicare fraud and abuse and to help report suspicious Medicare claims.

The goals of the SMP are to: 

  • Increase public awareness through workshops and community presentations
  • Recruit and train volunteers who will work with Medicare beneficiaries to review claims
  • Report fraudulent claims
  • Prevent and/or reduce fraudulent practices in the Medicare system by educating beneficiaries

For more information regarding our Insurance Counseling Services, please contact Sharon Duke at 662-324-3309.