NH Health Insurance Assistance Program Receives Award

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the New Hampshire State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) will receive a SHIP Performance Award of $26,731.00. Based on the SHIPs' outstanding achievements the prior year in serving Medicare beneficiaries, CMS is providing these additional funds to expand their
services.

The SHIPs provide Medicare beneficiaries counseling and benefits information at the state and local level. SHIP counselors can help answer beneficiaries' questions related to Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Medicare Advantage, prescription coverage, and low-income assistance. SHIPs can provide tools and information to help
beneficiaries make decisions regarding their health care.

"We are pleased with the work of the New Hampshire State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which serves as a key Medicare partner providing beneficiaries with the personalized information they need to make important health care decisions," CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems said. "With these performance awards, CMS is recognizing SHIPs
for their outstanding work in strengthening community health resources and creating incentives for states to expand the number of people reached through their programs."

The NH Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services is required to use the grant funds to enhance and expand its SHIP counseling and information assistance functions. In NH, these
functions are carried out by the statewide network of local ServiceLink Resource Centers. SHIPs must also use the grant funds to increase awareness among Medicare beneficiaries about the extra help available to those with limited income and resources pay for prescription drug costs. SHIPS will have staff available to help those beneficiaries understand
and apply for the extra help. A total of $1.5 million will be awarded by CMS to SHIPs around the country for these purposes over the next year.

Established by CMS in 2006, SHIP Performance Awards are determined using data that is reported through a SHIP National Performance Reporting system for the 2007 SHIP grant year. The performance criteria include the number of beneficiaries that SHIPs serve in one-on-one counseling sessions and in their public education and outreach efforts, and the number of counselors SHIPs have recruited and trained to provide community-based assistance to Medicare
beneficiaries.

CMS works with a network of staff and volunteers to help SHIPs provide services to improve the health care of people with Medicare. For more information about SHIP local activities in your area, visit www.SHIPTalk.org.