Medicare Announces Funding For Health Insurance Counseling Programs For 2008
08 04 08 - 11:44
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that nearly $36 million will be distributed to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) to help people with Medicare get more information about their health care choices.
The nearly $36 million being distributed to the SHIPs today is the first installment of more than $50 million that will be provided to the SHIPs in 2008. This $20 million increase in funding over fiscal year 2007 reflects more than $39 million in regular SHIP grants, performance-based grants to be awarded in September, and SHIP support, as well as an additional $15 million in supplemental funding that will be distributed on June 1.
"State Health Insurance Assistance Programs fill an important role in providing information and support to people with Medicare in their communities across the nation," said CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems. "In addition to helping answer beneficiaries' questions about Medicare, this year's funding should further the SHIPs' efforts to help us reach those people who are most likely eligible for Medicare's low-income-subsidy and then help them apply for the extra help."
SHIPs are state based programs that use community-based networks to provide Medicare beneficiaries with local, personalized assistance on a wide variety of Medicare and health insurance topics. A significant accomplishment of the SHIPs has been their success in helping to educate many of the 39 million Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug coverage about their prescription drug coverage options so that they can make a choice about their health care that best meets their needs.
CMS expects the SHIPs to use the increased 2008 funding to conduct targeted community-based outreach to an increasing number of beneficiaries who may be unable to access other sources of information.
SHIPs will continue their outreach and assistance to current and newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers, as well as reaching out to beneficiaries with limited incomes who may be eligible for the extra help.
CMS will continue to support the SHIPs in 54 states and territories with training and technical assistance. This will help to ensure that the community network remains fully capable of accessing and using all of CMS' regional offices and online tools at http://www.medicare.gov to provide assistance to beneficiaries
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services