TN SHIP: Tennesseans' Medicare Resource
The Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program (TN SHIP) is a federally funded program that provides free, unbiased counseling and assistance to Tennessee's Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers. We do not promote any insurance agency, and we maintain confidentiality with all of our clients. Whether you are new to Medicare or a seasoned beneficiary, our trained counselors can assist you with all of your Medicare questions. To get started, please contact us at 1-877-801-0044, email us tn.ship@tn.gov, or fill out the form below!
Open Enrollment Period
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period ends Wednesday, December 7th. If you are in need of a drug plan comparison, please contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE for immediate assistance. If you have previously submitted a comparison to TN SHIP & haven’t received your comparison yet, please call or email us at 1-877-801-0044 or tn.ship@tn.gov.
Contact Form
Volunteer
Looking for a meaningful, fulfilling volunteer opportunity with the aging and disabled population? TN SHIP has volunteer opportunities for you to assist consumers with understanding their Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Training is available across the state. Email us at tn.ship@tn.gov for more information.
Medicare Tips
Protect your health with Medicare’s preventive benefits. Sign up at www.MyMedicare.gov to track the preventive benefits you have used each year and remind you of benefits for which you are eligible. Visit www.medicare.gov for valuable benefit information. Here are a few highlights of the website:
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder
An interactive tool that allows you to narrow your search for a Medicare prescription drug plan based on your personal preferences such as cost, drugs covered, and participating pharmacies.
Need help paying for your prescription drugs? You may be able to get extra help to pay for the premiums, annual deductible, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug program. However, you must be enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug plan to receive this additional help. Call SHIP today to learn more.
Medicare.gov: Forms, Help, and Resources
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Regulations and Guidance
Medicare Consumers and the Affordable Healthcare Act
Once you are eligible for Medicare you will need to disenroll from your Marketplace plan through the Affordable Care Act. Typically, your Marketplace plan will not work with Medicare. You will need to enroll in Medicare to avoid any penalties that may be assessed by not enrolling in Medicare timely. TN SHIP is available to help you make decisions with your Medicare health care coverage available in your area by looking at cost, convenience, and coverage.
SHIP from State to State
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling is provided under a variety of names throughout the country. Tennessee's program is known as TN SHIP, or just SHIP, but the same or similar programs exist under other names in other parts of the country. For example, California calls its program the California Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program, or HICAP. A list of programs and their contact information by state is available in a PDF format.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2201TNMISH-00, 2201TNMIDR-00, 2201TNMIAA-00, and 90SAPG0069-04-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.