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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the first installment of funding to the Nebraska State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to help Medicare beneficiaries get more information about their health care choices.
The Nebraska State Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), which is Nebraska's SHIP program, will receive $349,188.
"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 educating many of the 39 million Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug coverage about coverage options so that they can make a choice about their health care that best meets their needs.
CMS expects 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.
Nebraska's SHIIP used 2007 grant funding to assist more than 15,000 people with Medicare. The program will continue to focus their outreach to people with Medicare and their families.
The Nebraska SHIIP has created a State Medicare Coalition "Medicare Part D Resource Toolkit," which was given to more than 300 Medicaid caseworkers to assist dual eligible beneficiaries. In addition, the SHIIP has provided training to more than 300 nursing home facilities.
Also, it has actively worked with Easter Seals to assist Nebraskans with mental illness and disabilities enroll in the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage. The Nebraska SHIIP's toll-free assistance number for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers is (800) 234-7119.
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