Who Can Help You Choose a Medicare Plan? Your Options, Ranked

Choosing a Medicare plan is not a simple form you fill out once and forget. It is a financial decision that can cost or save your parent thousands of dollars per year — and the wrong choice at age 65 can be very difficult to undo later. So when you start looking for help, it matters enormously who you turn to.

The people available to help your parent choose a Medicare plan range from government-certified counselors who are legally prohibited from selling anything, to commissioned sales agents whose income depends on which plan your parent chooses. Both types will call themselves "Medicare advisors." This guide explains the difference.

Option 1: SHIP Counselors (Free, Unbiased — Best Starting Point)

What SHIP is: The State Health Insurance Assistance Program is a federally funded network of trained counselors in every state. SHIP counselors are not allowed to sell insurance. They do not earn commissions. Their only job is to educate and assist Medicare beneficiaries.

What they can do:

• Explain Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage in plain terms
• Walk through your parent's drug list and run it through the Medicare Plan Finder to find the lowest-cost Part D option
• Help your parent understand their Medigap (Medicare supplement) options during the enrollment window
• Explain enrollment deadlines and help avoid late penalties
• Assist with Medicare Savings Program applications if your parent has limited income

How to find them: Call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for the local SHIP office, or go to shiphelp.org and search by state.

The catch: SHIP counselors are in high demand, especially during the Annual Open Enrollment Period (October 15 through December 7). During those weeks, wait times for an appointment can stretch into weeks. Do not call in late October and expect next-day help. If you want a SHIP counselor, reach out in August or September before the rush.

SHIP counselors vary in depth of expertise. Most are excellent at explaining standard plans and running the Plan Finder. However, complex situations — a parent who worked past 65 with employer coverage, coordination with VA benefits, or a previous Medicare Advantage enrollment that affects Medigap eligibility — may require a counselor with more specialized training. Ask when you call whether the counselor has experience with your specific situation.

Bottom line: SHIP is the right first call. It is free, unbiased, and specifically designed for this.

Option 2: Medicare.gov and the Plan Finder Tool (Free, Self-Serve)

What it is: The federal government's official Medicare comparison tool at Medicare.gov/plan-compare. You enter your parent's medications, dosages, and preferred pharmacies, and it shows every available plan in their area ranked by total annual cost.

What it does well:

• Objectively compares Part D drug plans by total drug + premium cost (not just premium)
• Shows Medicare Advantage plan details side by side including copays, deductibles, and maximum out-of-pocket
• Displays star ratings for each plan
• Allows you to save plan comparisons for review

The limitation: The tool compares plans numerically but does not tell your parent whether Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage is the better structural choice for their health profile. It does not account for factors like the prior authorization burden of a specific MA plan or what happens to Medigap eligibility if your parent tries Medicare Advantage and then wants to switch back.

Best use: Run the Plan Finder during Annual Enrollment to compare Part D plans year over year. Plans change their formularies every January — the plan that was cheapest in 2025 may not be cheapest in 2026. This is a critical annual step.

Option 3: Independent Insurance Brokers (Free to Use — But Not Unbiased)

What they are: Licensed insurance agents who represent multiple carriers. You will see them advertised heavily during enrollment season. They do not charge your parent a fee — their compensation comes from the insurance company when your parent enrolls.

What they do well:

• Can compare plans across multiple carriers in one conversation
• Handle the paperwork and enrollment process
• Often know the local plan landscape well (which plans have strong networks in a specific city)
• Useful for Medigap shopping because they can pull quotes from multiple companies

The conflict of interest: Insurance companies pay agents commissions. These commissions are not equal across all products. Medicare Advantage plans generally pay higher commissions than standalone Part D plans. A captive agent (one who works exclusively for one carrier) can only sell that carrier's plans, so you will never get an objective comparison from them.

This does not mean brokers give bad advice — many are ethical professionals. But it does mean you cannot treat a broker consultation the same way you treat SHIP counseling. A broker is a salesperson, even a helpful and knowledgeable one.

How to use a broker appropriately:

• Use SHIP or Medicare.gov first to understand what your parent actually needs
• Then use a broker to get Medigap quotes across carriers (since Medigap premiums for the same plan letter vary widely by company)
• Ask the broker how many carriers they represent — fewer than five is a red flag for comprehensive comparison

Option 4: Captive Agents Working for One Carrier (Least Useful for Comparison)

These are the agents who work for Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, or another single carrier. They can only sell that carrier's products. If you call the number on a Medicare Advantage plan's TV commercial, you will reach a captive agent.

They are useful if you have already decided on a specific carrier and want to enroll. They are useless if you want an objective comparison across your parent's options.

One specific warning: Medicare regulations prohibit agents from making unsolicited cold calls to Medicare beneficiaries. If your parent receives an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to help them "review their Medicare coverage," that is a red flag — either a regulatory violation by the caller or a scam. Your parent should hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE directly if they have questions.

Option 5: Hiring an Independent Medicare Consultant (Paid — For Complex Situations)

Some families hire independent Medicare consultants who charge a flat fee or hourly rate rather than earning commissions. This is relatively uncommon but exists.

This can make sense if:

• Your parent has a very complex situation (dual coverage with a union pension plan, coordination with VA benefits, late enrollment penalty disputes)
• You have tried SHIP and felt the counselor lacked the expertise for your specific scenario

For most families, SHIP plus the Medicare.gov Plan Finder is sufficient. Paid consultants are the exception, not the rule.

How to Work the System as an Adult Child

Here is the practical sequence most families should follow:

Six to twelve months before your parent turns 65 (or as soon as you start helping): Call your parent's local SHIP office. Schedule an appointment early — before the enrollment rush. Ask specifically about the Medigap Open Enrollment Window (the 6-month window starting when Part B begins, during which your parent has guaranteed issue rights to any Medigap plan regardless of health). Missing this window is one of the most expensive mistakes in Medicare.

During the SHIP appointment: Bring a list of your parent's current doctors and medications. Ask the counselor to walk through the Original Medicare + Medigap versus Medicare Advantage trade-off for your parent's health profile. Ask what happens if your parent tries Medicare Advantage and wants to switch back in three years.

For Part D comparison: Log in to Medicare.gov/plan-compare and run the Plan Finder with your parent's current drug list. Sort by "Lowest Drug + Premium Cost." Repeat this every October before the December 7 enrollment deadline.

For Medigap premium shopping: Once you understand which Medigap plan letter fits your parent (Plan G is the most comprehensive for new enrollees since 2020), get quotes from multiple companies. A broker can be useful here since Medigap plan benefits are standardized by law — a Plan G from one company is identical in benefits to a Plan G from another. The only difference is price.

One critical form to file: If you are going to be making Medicare decisions on your parent's behalf — calling Medicare, requesting claims information, filing appeals — file Form CMS-1696 (Appointment of Representative). Without it, Medicare representatives are legally prohibited from discussing your parent's account with you, even if you are their child.

The Bottom Line on Medicare Advice

The help you get is only as good as the incentives of the person giving it. SHIP counselors have no financial stake in your parent's decision, which is exactly why they are the most trustworthy starting point. Brokers and agents can be valuable tools — but use them after you already understand the landscape, not as your primary source of education.

If you want to go into those SHIP and broker conversations prepared — understanding the core trade-offs between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, the rules around Medigap underwriting, and the enrollment windows that can never be recovered once missed — the Medicare Enrollment Guide was written specifically for adult children navigating this for their parents. It covers everything from the initial enrollment timeline to how to appeal a denied claim.