State Health Insurance Assistance Program - The California State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), also known as the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is administered by the California Department of Aging (CDA). CDA partners with 26 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to provide HICAP services in each of California’s counties. The goal of this project is to improve access to Medicare information and assistance for approximately 6.6 million Medicare beneficiaries. The project will simultaneously target hard-to-reach beneficiaries and their caregivers. CDA will support California SHIP activities conforming with service and operational excellence, capacity building, and program innovation. The objectives are: 1) Consistently and confidentially provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive information and assistance; 2) Promote awareness, knowledge, and visibility of the program; 3) Recruit, train, and retain a diverse, sufficient, and effective workforce at all levels of program administration; 4) Promote adaptable and sustainable processes and activities to position the SHIP for changes in the programmatic landscape; 5) Develop and strengthen the program structure and organization, including policies, processes, and procedures, to enable effective and efficient operations. The outcomes include increased recognition and use of HICAP services among Medicare beneficiaries, especially in underserved communities, resulting in an increase in client contacts; progressive growth in knowledge about Medicare, and expertise in counseling skills among all HICAP staff resulting in increased outreach and enrollment contacts. The products expected are outreach and education materials, and counselor and staff training.
