Accuracy of Medicare Information Provided by State Health Insurance Assistance Programs.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those dually eligible for Medicaid, must navigate complex coverage options. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides counseling on Medicare options, but little is known about the quality of counseling sessions.

Objective

To characterize experiences connecting to SHIP counselors, and to characterize the accuracy and completeness of information provided by counselors in response to questions about Medicare coverage options.

Design, setting, and participants

In this cross-sectional study of 131 SHIP sites across the US, mystery shoppers posed as individuals newly eligible for Medicare. Shops occurred via telephone, in-person, and videoconference encounters from September 2023 to August 2024. Statistical

SUBMITTER: Dugan K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11962663 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature