FY 2025 mish - medicare improvements for patients and providers act: priority 1 for ships

The Ohio Department of Aging received a Formula Grant award of $748,153 from the Center for Integrated Programs under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) Priority 1 for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2027. This award is administered through the Medicare Enrollment Assistance Program (CFDA 93.071), which provides enhanced outreach and enrollment assistance to eligible Medicare beneficiaries with emphasis on individuals with limited incomes and assets. The funding supports activities designed to inform beneficiaries about preventive and wellness benefits, the Low-Income Subsidy program for Medicare Part D, and Medicare Savings Programs, while providing one-on-one enrollment counseling and application assistance.

As the primary grantee, the Ohio Department of Aging sub-awarded a portion of these funds to the Ohio Department of Insurance's Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) to deliver direct services. The combined efforts support disease prevention and wellness promotion through community outreach campaigns, benefits enrollment centers, and integrated clearinghouses of benefits information. These state-level service delivery mechanisms enable comprehensive Medicare coverage assistance to Ohio's senior population, with the state agency responsible for distributing remaining funds to local Area Agencies on Aging, nonprofit organizations, and community service providers as outlined in an approved State Plan.