Topics on this page:
About SHIBA
Solid Ground’s Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) help people understand Medicare rights and options. Our well-trained volunteers counsel people of all ages – including people under age 65 living with disabilities, people getting ready to turn 65, and those already enrolled – about their Medicare choices and options.
SHIBA volunteers assist people through in-person and virtual one-to-one counseling via video chat or phone. They answer Medicare questions, make referrals, and help evaluate and compare health insurance policies so people can make informed decisions to find the best possible coverage that meets their needs and fits their budgets. Volunteers can also help screen to see if people qualify for low-income programs to save money on Medicare coverage. (In partnership with the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Solid Ground is your local SHIBA office in King County.)
SHIBA is…
- Completely FREE and confidential: We keep your personal information safe.
- Accessible: Some of our volunteers and hotline operators speak languages other than English.
- Objective and unbiased: We don’t sell or endorse anything.
SHIBA advisors can help with…
- Original Medicare
- Prescription drugs
- Low-income programs to help pay for Medicare
- Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans
- Medicare Advantage plans
- Medicare fraud and abuse
- Issues with Medicare fraud
Upcoming Events
Welcome to Medicare Workshop
Join us for an in-person Welcome to Medicare Workshop and learn... Read More »
Welcome to Medicare Webinar
Join us online for a Welcome to Medicare Webinar and learn how... Read More »
Welcome to Medicare Webinar
Join us online for a Welcome to Medicare Webinar and learn how... Read More »
Watch to learn about SHIBA volunteers’ impact!
In SHIBA helps with Medicare, health choices, you’ll hear how Medicare counseling benefits both volunteers’ and customers’ lives.
SHIBA Volunteer Qualifications and Roles
SHIBA volunteers work to empower, educate, and assist Medicare-eligible people, their families, and caregivers through objective outreach, counseling, and training to make informed health insurance decisions that optimize access to care and benefits, and to detect and avoid Medicare fraud. As a SHIBA volunteer, you’ll have the option to perform a role that fits your goals, aptitudes, and interests. Read on for more on what it takes to be a successful SHIBA volunteer!
Qualifications
- Willingness and ability to work with people from a variety of racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, with various lifestyles, sexual orientations, and of all ages.
- Good oral and written communication skills.
- Active listening and problem-solving skills.
- Enthusiasm to learn and share information related to health care benefits, including preventing, detecting, and reporting health care fraud, errors, and abuse.
- Ability to explain Medicare coverage, program rules, and procedures in terms that beneficiaries can understand.
- Awareness to request assistance if you need it.
- Ability to use a telephone, computer, and access email and the internet.
- Commitment to provide professional and confidential assistance.
- Motivation to research and make appropriate referrals to partner agencies.
SHIBA volunteer roles
- Counsel others
- Provide clerical support
- Participate in outreach activities
- Give presentations to the public
- Work on special projects
Current positions are remote with limited in-person opportunities; we can provide some technological equipment as needed.
Training and Certification
Training varies for each role. The Counselor, Fraud Specialist, and Public Presenter roles include:
- Attend a virtual SHIBA basic training (8-hour training taken over two 4-hour days). Basic Training is recommended but not required for Outreach or Administrative/data entry roles.
- Counselors, Fraud Specialists, and Public Presenters must all successfully pass the SHIBA certification exam.
- Commit to 5 hours per week training alongside a SHIBA volunteer mentor and be approved as ready to counsel Medicare beneficiaries (Counselors, Fraud Specialists, and Public Presenters).
- All SHIBA volunteers must attend a 2-hour monthly Medicare training hosted virtually by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (at least 8 of the 9 trainings must be attended) per year.
Steps to Become a SHIBA Volunteer
- Fill out a Solid Ground Volunteer Application (webform) to initiate Solid Ground’s volunteer onboarding process.
- Fill out a SHIBA Volunteer Application (fillable PDF form), return it to shiba@solid-ground.org, and we’ll send to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
- Attend a SHIBA Volunteer Information Session (see details below).
- Optional (but encouraged): Attend a Welcome to Medicare Webinar taught by experienced SHIBA volunteers.
SHIBA volunteer info sessions cover:
- The SHIBA program
- SHIBA volunteer tasks
- Training provided
- Next steps to becoming a volunteer
- Q&A time
Upcoming Info Sessions
Nothing to show. Check back soon!
Contact Us
- Questions about volunteering? Email Sam Stones, Solid Ground’s SHIBA Program Coordinator, at sams@solid-ground.org.
- Need Medicare help yourself? Contact Solid Ground’s SHIBA intake line at 206.753.4806 or shiba@solid-ground.org to get connected with a SHIBA volunteer!
We ask all volunteers to please use this self-screening tool before every in-person training or volunteer session to keep yourself and others safe:
Medicare Plan Resources
Booklets, Brochures, and Flyers:
- BROCHURE: Get help paying for Medicare – See if you qualify for a Medicare savings program and/or extra help
- BOOKLET: Paying for prescription drugs
- BOOKLET: What you need to know about Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans
- BROCHURE: About Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA)
- CHECKLIST: Your SHIBA Medicare action plan
- FLYER: Get help paying for Medicare – Information for American Indians and Alaskan Natives
- FLYER: Medicare and COVID-19 vaccine scams
- FLYER: Stop Medicare Fraud
- FLYER: Watch out for scam calls
Comparison Charts:
- Your Medicare coverage choices
- 2022 Medicare Advantage Plans (King County)
- 2022 Medicare hospital insurance covered services (Parts A & B)
- 2022 Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans
- Approved Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans (updates quarterly)
- Comparing Medicare supplement (Medigap) and Medicare Advantage plans
- 10 Standardized Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans
