• Melissa M Garrido, Allison Dorneo, Michael Adelberg, David Biko, Paul R Shafer, and Austin B Frakt.
• Boston University School of Public Health, Talbot 2W, 715 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118. Email: garrido@bu.edu.
• Am J Manag Care. 2024 Feb 1; 30 (2): e46e51e46-e51.

ObjectivesCounseling and education on Medicare coverage options are available through the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), but little is known about the population that SHIP reaches.Study DesignCross-sectional study.MethodsUsing a novel data source on SHIP counseling site locations, we characterized the availability of in-person SHIP counseling by zip code tabulation area (ZCTA) and used linear regression and t tests to evaluate whether SHIP counseling sites are disproportionately located in higher-income communities.ResultsOur sample included 1511 SHIP counseling sites. More than half (63%) of the localities in our sample have a SHIP site within the ZCTA or county. Twenty-four percent do not have a SHIP site within the county but have one in an adjacent county. The remaining 13% do not have a nearby SHIP site. There is a disproportionate number of individuals eligible for Medicare in localities without a SHIP site. Moreover, the population living in areas without in-person SHIP sites is more likely to have low income and fewer years of education than the population living in areas with a SHIP site.ConclusionsThese results suggest that there are areas where in-person SHIP service expansion or other additional navigation support may be warranted.

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