Vermont's State Health Insurance Assistance Program Ranked First in the Nation
Waterbury, VT-Vermont's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides one-on-one counseling and information to educate consumers about Medicare and other health insurance programs, has been awarded the top ranking among the nation's 54 SHIP programs in terms of overall performance in 2008.
Vermont's SHIP received a 2008 Performance Plus Award of $32,628 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in recognition of their efforts; $25,235 for a #1 ranking nationwide, and $7,393 for a #1 ranking in their "cluster." There are six clusters nationwide. Other states in Vermont's cluster include: Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and Guam.
"Vermont is a state that can boast many firsts in health care. We were ranked #1 in the nation for early child health and maternal health by several national organizations this spring, and I'm very pleased to see this federal recognition of Vermont's commitment to providing high quality health care assistance to folks on the other end of the age spectrum," said Governor Jim Douglas.
The Vermont SHIP program is administered through the state's five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), which include Central Vermont Council on Aging (Barre), Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (Essex Junction), Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont (Springfield), Northeastern Vermont Area Agency on Aging (St. Johnsbury), and Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (Rutland). The AAA's employ trained counselors and volunteers to work with individuals over age 65, or those with disabilities, who have questions or concerns about the Medicare program, including Medicare Part D, or other insurance programs.
"We are very pleased that the federal government has recognized the dedication of our AAA partners in administering the SHIP here in Vermont," said Cynthia D. LaWare, Secretary of the Agency of Human Services. "Thanks to their efforts, more Vermonters than ever have access to information that makes it easier for them to enroll in high quality, affordable health care programs across the state."
Judith Crawford, Director of Vermont's SHIP, added, "I am so proud of our performance, and I am equally proud of all the dedicated staff associated with SHIP. We have an extraordinary group of people serving our Medicare population and this recognition is well deserved."
The Vermont SHIP's national #1 Performance ranking means that for the size of our state and the number of Medicare beneficiaries, Vermont:
* Boasted the most one-on-one counseling contacts;
* SHIP staff counseled the greatest number of people with disabilities;
* Staff have performed the most outreach and education trainings, and;
* Vermont SHIP staff have enrolled 98.8% of income-eligible beneficiaries in Vermont for the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) SSA program.
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