HAP offers a unique set of building materials to SHIPs to help enhance their capacity to inform, counsel, and assist Medicare beneficiaries. To this end, HAP provides the following products and services to SHIPs and their partners:
1. HAP conducts monthly conference calls to engage and educate SHIP personnel and their partners on important and newly emerging Medicare and related issues affecting seniors, to answer questions, as well as to provide a forum for SHIPs to share ideas and tips.
2. HAP answers requests for technical assistance through SHIPHelp@hapnetwork.org. Through this dedicated email address SHIP personnel may receive customized answers to questions on topics such as Medicare coverage and regulations and SHIP operations.
3. HAP offers timely, accurate, and usable materials to assist SHIPs in their education and counseling efforts. These tools may be accessed through the Content Areas on the left side of each HAP web page.
4. HAP provides trainings (on-site and webinars) by request for state and local SHIP personnel on a topic of their choice, usually related to substantive or program operation issues. To request a training by HAP, please contact us at InfoHAP@hapnetwork.org.
5. HAP delivers an Electronic Newsletter to state and local SHIPs as well as partners in the aging community to provide up-to-date information on Medicare as well as new resources from HAP and other organizations.
6. HAP advocates for increased SHIP funding and comments on proposed regulations, policies, and beneficiary notices as requested by CMS and SSA. We also strive to bring other systemic issues that affect SHIP work to the attention of CMS, Congress, and the media. HAP works with SHIPs across the nation to identify trends, provide support, and promote various venues for the SHIPs to articulate concerns. On a national level, HAP strives to bring the critical role that SHIPs play to the forefront of any conversation regarding Medicare beneficiaries and, in turn, the necessity for increased funding to support SHIPs.
7. HAP works intensively with a number of state SHIP programs each year in an effort called a Collaborative State Project. The Collaborative State Projects represent HAP’s most intensive work with a state SHIP and focus on transforming the state SHIP in a positive way. With these projects, which span approximately a year of work, the HAP team performs an environmental scan of the state’s SHIP network and operating landscape; works with the state SHIP and relevant stakeholders to determine the priority goals and desired outcomes; creates a detailed workplan to deliver on those goals; and then develops and implements trainings, technology products, or other services to help the SHIP achieve those goals.
8. HAP continues to develop SHIPTools, a 'one-stop' shop that provides SHIP programs with a customizable web portal where volunteers can go to review resources, news items, and program updates. It enables SHIP programs to maintain a database of their staff and volunteers, train and certify staff and volunteers, capture client contact and public and media activity forms online, run comprehensive reports on SHIP activities, and track attendance at trainings. For more information about SHIPTools, contact Tools@hapnetwork.org.
