Welcome to the Help With Medicare Blog

Hi Everyone,

This is a new blog to give you free information about your Medicare Insurance and to introduce you to the State of Alabama SHIP services. I am Ashley Lemsky and I am the State of Alabama Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Coordinator assisting residents of Jefferson County.

I want to give you a little history of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and SHIP:

In 1965, Congress enacted the Older Americans Act (OAA), which established the Administration on Aging (AoA) and state agencies on aging to address the social service needs of older people. The Act is considered the major vehicle for promoting the delivery of social services to the aging population. Its mission is broad: to help older people maintain maximum independence in their homes and communities and to promote a continuum of care for the vulnerable elderly. In successive amendments, Congress authorized targeted programs to respond to specific needs.

One of the services mandated by the OAA is SHIP. SHIP is referred to as the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Through SHIP, certified counselors and volunteers are committed to helping Medicare beneficiaries make informed choices regarding health benefits. Counselors and volunteers are not affiliated with any insurance company and will not attempt to sell Medicare beneficiaries insurance.

SHIP is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and is administered through the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS) in Jefferson County, Alabama.

As the SHIP Coordinator, I am employed by Jefferson County, Alabama, Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS). Our office only assists residents of Jefferson County, Alabama. If you live in a county other than Jefferson in the State of Alabama, and would like to inquire about SHIP services, call 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5643) from your land line phone and you will be connected to your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

However, if you are visiting this website from another state and would like to learn more about SHIP, contact your state's Department of Insurance.

If you would like to take advantage of SHIP services and are a resident of Jefferson County, Alabama, please call our office at (205) 325-1416 and we will be happy to set up an appointment with you to come into our office at 2601 Highland Avenue, South, Birmingham, Alabama,  or set up an over-the-phone appointment to help you with your Medicare needs.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time...

Ashley