NEI3A State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Technical Assistance Center - Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging (NEI3A) proposes to continue operating the State Health Insurance Assistance Program Technical Assistance (SHIP TA) Center, building upon and expanding existing services to provide uninterrupted support to SHIPs. The project goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the SHIP outreach and education by serving as a central source of information, expertise, and TA for SHIPs, partners, and team members. The project objectives are to: 1) Consistently and confidentially provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive information and assistance; 2) Promote awareness, knowledge, and visibility of the program; 3) Prepare SHIPs to recruit, train, and retain a sufficient and effective workforce ready to provide high-quality, unbiased education and inquiry resolution; 4) Develop and strengthen the SHIP network structure and organization, including processes and procedures, to enable effective and efficient operations; and 5) Promote adaptable and sustainable processes and activities to position the SHIP for changes in the programmatic landscape. The expected outcomes are: 1) SHIPs will report increased satisfaction with Center services; 2) Utilization of Center resources and services will increase annually; and 3) The Center will increase public visibility of SHIP through media, website traffic, and Locator use. The expected products include: • Public-facing resources: SHIP website, Locator tool, toll-free number, and social media • Password-protected online counselor certification and training (OCCT), Medigap Plan Finder, Resource Library, toolkits, calendar, news, and SHIP profiles • Publications including newsletters and monthly Medicare Minutes in English and Spanish • Webinars, manuals, self-paced training, microlearning, and tutorials on all SHIP content areas: VRPM, STARS, performance measures, insurance, professional well-being, program management • Individual TA and training
