Various organizations can help you navigate the Medicare enrollment process. These include SHIP, the CMS, and the SSA.

Navigating the Medicare system and enrolling in the right plans at the right time can be confusing. You can get help with this process in various ways.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers unbiased one-on-one counseling and assistance for navigating the Medicare system.

SHIP can help with many aspects of Medicare, including:

  • enrollment and enrollment periods
  • information on out-of-pocket costs
  • eligibility criteria
  • coverage
  • individual rights under Medicare

SHIP contact information

To contact SHIP, you can:

  • Call 877-839-2675.
  • Use the SHIP locator to find and contact your local SHIP office.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that provides health coverage through:

  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
  • Health Insurance Marketplace

Through these various avenues, the CMS helps provide coverage to more than 160 million people. It works with the healthcare community as a whole to improve the quality, equity, and outcomes of the healthcare system.

CMS contact information for Medicare

To find assistance with Medicare 24/7, you can:

  • Call 800-633-4227 (TTY: 877-486-2048).
  • Start an online chat.

While CMS runs the Medicare program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) handles enrollment into Medicare. When you are ready to enroll in Medicare, you will do so through the SSA.

The SSA can be helpful for finding information on various parts of Medicare, such as:

SSA contact information

To contact the SSA about Medicare, you can:

Each state has a state insurance department. These departments are particularly helpful for getting more information about Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap).

Generally, each state will list the Medigap premiums each year for Medicare-approved private insurance companies.

State insurance department contact

To find your local State Insurance Department, you can visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website and select your state from the drop-down menu.

The Medicare Rights Center provides a free independent online reference tool called Medicare Interactive. It offers easy-to-understand answers to questions that are frequently asked by people with Medicare.

The Medicare Rights Center also has Medicare counselors you can speak with for help with Medicare enrollment and other topics.

Medicare Rights Center contact

To speak with a counselor, you can call 800-333-4114.

There are various options for you to find more information and assistance with Medicare enrollment.

These include SHIP, the SSA, and the CMS. Your state insurance department can also help you with information on Medigap.