With the Medicare openenrollment period beginning Saturday, State Senator Steve Stadelman is urging older adults interested in changing their existing Medicare plan to consider free, personalized assistance through the Illinois Department on Aging’s (IDoA) Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).

“It is that season when people with Medicare are confronted with numerous advertisements about the various Medicare health and drugs plans for the coming year,” Stadelman said. “There's no need to navigate the process alone when you can discuss your options with a certified SHIP counselor and make an educated choice.”

All services are free, and SHIP counselors do not sell or solicit any type of insurance.To find a SHIP counselor near you, call the statewide Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

During openenrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, people who are already enrolled in Medicare have the opportunity to review their current coverage and switch to a different plan for 2023. SHIP program offers statewide health insurance counseling services through a network of 300 sites and more than 1,000 trained and certified counselors. Illinois has trained 256 new SHIP counselors during the past year, and all counselors have received additional training on how to assist older adults with openenrollment.

SHIP counselors can answer questions about Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans such as HMOs and PPOs, Medicare Part D drug plans, Medicare Supplement policies, retiree group insurance and other health insurances.

Beginning in 2023, all Medicare participants with prescription coverage will have their insulin copay capped at $35 per month, and SHIP counselors can explain participants’ options and cost savings due to this new law. Stadelman passed similar legislation capping insulin costs for non-Medicare consumers in Illinois.