Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program - SHIP

What Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program - SHIP does

Indiana SHIP is a free, impartial Medicare counseling program administered by the Indiana Department of Insurance and funded jointly by the federal Administration for Community Living and the State of Indiana. Established in 1992, it operates as part of a nationwide federal network of State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and is staffed primarily by volunteer counselors who complete a four-day IDOI-certified training course with ongoing updates on Medicare changes. The program serves all Medicare beneficiaries residing in Indiana, providing one-on-one guidance on coverage, plan comparison and enrollment, claims filing, appeals, prescription drug coverage, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), long-term care insurance, durable medical equipment, and applications for programs that reduce uncovered Medicare costs.

Service delivery spans three channels: in-person counseling at SHIP sites across the state, a central 800-number hotline, and virtual/online sessions. Program awareness and education are supported by a monthly SHIP Navigator e-newsletter, an active social media presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, downloadable informational brochures, group presentations, and the in.gov/ship website, which links to the third-party Insurance Tools Portal for plan comparison. The program also operates a volunteer and site-host recruitment pipeline ("Become a SHIP Site," "Apply to Become a SHIP Counselor").

From a business-model standpoint, SHIP is not a commercial enterprise. There is no revenue model, no pricing, and no proprietary technology product; all services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Funding is grant-based from federal and state sources, and the program has only 8 listed employees, with the bulk of service delivery handled by trained volunteers. The economic structure is that of a public-benefit government assistance program, not an investable commercial entity, and any investor-relevant analysis must be framed around program sustainability and appropriations rather than revenue growth.

Name

Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program - SHIP

Legal name

State Health Insurance Assistance Program

Website

https://medicare.in.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Indiana SHIP is a free, impartial Medicare counseling program administered by the Indiana Department of Insurance and federally funded by the Administration for Community Living. Trained volunteer counselors serve Indiana Medicare beneficiaries via in-person, phone, and virtual channels with plan comparison, enrollment, claims, and appeals support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded by the Administration for Community Living (federal) and the Indiana Department of Insurance (state). This is a government-funded public service program, not a revenue-generating commercial entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SHIP is a free, impartial, one-on-one counseling program for Medicare beneficiaries in Indiana. Trained and certified volunteer counselors help consumers compare and enroll in Medicare plans (Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Long-Term Care), understand their Medicare rights, file claims, appeal decisions, and apply for programs that help pay uncovered Medicare costs such as LIS and MSP.

Product overview

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a free, impartial counseling program administered by the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) and funded by the Administration for Community Living. It is not a software platform product but rather a service program staffed by volunteer counselors. SHIP offers a portfolio of services including Medicare Coverage Counseling, Medicare Supplement Plans Guidance, Medicare Advantage Plans Guidance, Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) Guidance, Long Term Care Insurance Guidance, the Durable Medical Equipment Program, and Help Paying for Medicare Costs (including LIS and MSP applications). These services are delivered through one-on-one counseling (in person, phone, or virtual), informational brochures, SHIP Navigator E-Newsletter, group presentations/events, and social media channels. SHIP counselors have completed a four-day training course certified by IDOI and receive regular updates on Medicare changes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medicare Coverage Counseling
• Medicare Supplement Plans Guidance
• Medicare Advantage Plans Guidance
• Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) Guidance
• Long Term Care Insurance Guidance
• Durable Medical Equipment Program Assistance
• Help Paying for Medicare Costs (LIS & MSP Applications)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Administration for Community LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner providing funding and coordination for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. SHIP is provided by the Administration for Community Living and the Indiana Department of Insurance, operating as part of a national network of SHIP programs in every state.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP): California's state-specific Medicare counseling program under the California Department of Aging. Directly comparable to Indiana SHIP as a federally-supported SHIP counterpart providing free, impartial Medicare counseling to beneficiaries in another state.
• Illinois SHIP: Illinois's State Health Insurance Assistance Program under the Department on Aging. Directly comparable to Indiana SHIP as a Midwestern peer SHIP offering free Medicare counseling via trained volunteers.
• New York HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program): New York's state Medicare counseling program under the Office for the Aging. Directly comparable as a sister SHIP program providing free, impartial Medicare counseling to beneficiaries in another state.
• Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP): Texas's state Medicare counseling program administered by the Texas Department of Insurance. Directly comparable to Indiana SHIP as a peer state SHIP offering free Medicare Supplement, Advantage, and Part D counseling.
• Florida SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders): Florida's state Medicare counseling program administered through the Department of Elder Affairs. Directly comparable as another SHIP-funded volunteer counseling network offering free Medicare guidance to state beneficiaries.
• Medicare Rights Center: National non-profit that provides free Medicare counseling, education, and advocacy services. Comparable to SHIP as a non-government, non-profit organization offering direct Medicare beneficiary counseling and appeals assistance.

Others

• National Council on Aging (NCOA): National non-profit focused on aging issues, including benefits access programs like BenefitsCheckUp. Comparable as an adjacent organization supporting seniors in accessing Medicare cost-saving programs (LIS/MSP), which overlaps with SHIP's cost-assistance counseling.
• Eldercare Locator: Federal resource administered by the Administration for Community Living (same federal parent as SHIP) connecting seniors to local aging services. Comparable as an ACL-funded resource that channels seniors to services like SHIP counseling.

Broad incumbents

• Medicare.gov: Official federal Medicare website administered by CMS. Comparable to SHIP as the authoritative federal source for Medicare plan comparison and information, providing baseline tools that SHIP counselors help beneficiaries interpret.
• AARP: National non-profit organization providing Medicare education resources, webinars, and counseling referrals. Comparable to SHIP as a senior-focused organization offering Medicare informational services at national scale, though not a direct substitute for one-on-one state counseling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/INSHIP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtlkW9yH4doPgfz74CyngvQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Indiana.SHIP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiana-ship
• Instagraminstagram.com/indiana_ship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indiana State Health Insurance Assistance Program - SHIP