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Aging: Medigap Helpline

Do you receive Medicare benefits? Are you thinking about long-term care costs? Are you looking for fair, helpful information about your insurance options?

Call the toll-free Medigap Helpline at 800-242-1060.

What is the Medigap Helpline

The Wisconsin Board on Aging & Long Term Care runs the toll-free Medigap Helpline for the state. You can call to speak to a counselor. They can help you make informed choices about insurance like Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance). You can also request booklets on insurance. 

Logo - SHIP
Medigap Helpline counselors are trained State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselors. They don’t sell anything. They provide unbiased information for free.

Call with questions about Medicare and Medigap insurance

Medigap Helpline counselors can help you understand your current health insurance policy and Medicare. They can address issues with:

  • Insurance through a job or employer.
  • Managed care.
  • Medicare Advantage plans (also called Part C).
  • Medigap (also known as Medicare Supplement Insurance) policies, which help cover out-of-pocket Medicare costs.
  • Plan comparisons during the fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

Get answers to questions, such as:

  • Do I need Medicare Part B? When and how do I enroll?
  • What Medicare plan options do I have? Which best fit my needs? Should I get a managed care plan, like an HMO (health maintenance organization) plan?
  • How does my Medigap insurance policy compare with other options?
  • What types of Medigap (also known as Medicare Supplement Insurance) can I get if I have Medicare and I’m under age 65?
  • With my employer health plan, is Medicare the primary or secondary payer?
  • Can I get a policy that covers prescription drugs while I travel in foreign countries?

Call with questions about long-term care insurance

Have you ever thought about how you’d pay for help with daily living activities long-term, like:

  • Home health care.
  • Stays in a nursing home.
  • Stays in an assisted living facility.
  • Stays in a community-based residential facility.

There are lots of insurance options in Wisconsin. These include:

  • Home health care insurance.
  • Long-term care insurance.
  • Nursing home insurance.

Medigap Helpline counselors can answer questions like:

  • How do long-term care insurance policies differ?
  • How can married couples protect their savings through Wisconsin spousal impoverishment protection laws?
  • How can Medicaid or Medical Assistance (Title 19) programs help me? What are the income and resource limits?
  • What factors should I think about before I buy insurance?
  • If I get Medicaid, what is my liability under the Wisconsin Estate Recovery Program?

Other ways to get help

There are other groups who can help too. Call the number based on what you need.

This project is funded, in whole or in part, by grant number 90SAPG0091-01-00. The grant is from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

Last revised July 19, 2022