President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 draft budget calls for the defunding of many critical programs provided to older persons across the country.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides Medicare beneficiaries with information, counseling, and enrollment assistance. Its mission is to empower, educate, and help Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers to make informed health insurance decisions that optimize access to care.

Each year, the 54 SHIPs across the U.S. provide nearly 2 million people with personal, free, and local assistance that cannot be replicated through existing tools, such as 1-800-Medicare. In fact, the federal agencies that oversee Medicare–the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration–routinely refer beneficiaries with Medicare questions to SHIP counselors.

Because SHIPs do not sell insurance products, they are a vital source of unbiased information about the different options people have for Medicare coverage. SHIPs also provide assistance with fraud and abuse issues, billing problems, and appeal rights.

This Administration has pledged to make America healthy again by empowering individuals with the best information to inform their healthcare choices. SHIPs serve a critical function in working toward this goal, and I urge you to contact your federal legislators today and demand that they preserve funding for this program to continue.

Mike Donohue

CEO

Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging