93.324 - State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Base Grant

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a federally funded program that provides free, unbiased counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. This grant opportunity is for the Illinois Department on Aging to award grants to eligible entities to provide SHIP services in their geographical area. The grant will support outreach efforts, one-on-one counseling, and partnership building to enhance the SHIP local network. The grantee will be responsible for ensuring all sites adhere to the standard requirements of SHIP, including reporting in the SHIP Data Tracking and Reporting System (STARS). Some key aspects of the grant include: • Providing funding to all eligible SHIP sites within the applicable Planning and Service Area (PSA) • Sub-granting to local SHIP sites to provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive counseling and assistance • Educating local SHIP sites on the latest changes in Medicare plans and advising clients on various types of Medicare coverage • Supporting local SHIP sites in providing beneficiaries access to enrollment assistance, Medicare plan analysis, and enrollment support • Monitoring sub-grantees for compliance with all requirements of the grant