Navigating Medicare
Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE)
SHINE is a program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and is operated locally through the eleven Aging and Disability Resource Centers. SHINE provides free, confidential, and unbiased Medicare counseling. SHINE is a part of the national State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) Program. Specially trained volunteers help Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to understand their health care options.
SHINE also administers two other federal programs, the MIPPA (Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act) Program and the SHINE/SMP Program. The SHINE/SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) is a program to empower seniors to protect, detect, and report suspected Medicare Fraud.
To receive help from SHINE, individuals may schedule appointments at designated SHINE counseling sites, attend enrollment events in their local communities, or arrange to speak with a trained SHINE counselor at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). SHINE counseling sites and enrollment events are listed on their website.
This service is provided through SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) and funded by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
The Elder Helpline is the place to start for help if you are a senior, an adult living with a disability, or a caregiver. The Elder Helpline will connect you with the resources available in our community through local agencies, services and programs.