April is National Volunteer Month, and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is recognizing our more than 230 people who volunteer to help people understand Medicare through our Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program. 

“For more than 45 years, our SHIBA volunteers have been making a difference in others’ lives all over Washington state,” said Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer. “They help people understand the complexities of Medicare and provide them with options that best meets their needs. We’re incredibly grateful for the work they do and for their dedication, compassion, and service.”

During 2025, SHIBA volunteers:

  • Assisted more than 35,172 Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers with one-on-one counseling in person and over the phone to help them evaluate their insurance needs; choose Medicare and Medigap plans; review long-term care insurance policies; and apply for low-income subsidies (to help pay for prescription drugs) and Medicare Savings plans (to help pay Medicare Part A and B premiums, copays and deductibles).
  • Educated more than 89,831 people about Medicare.
  • Held more than 1,954 outreach events statewide.
  • Resolved 1,680 complex complaint cases from beneficiaries (i.e., beneficiaries who were out of coverage, had been disenrolled by a plan, or needed an emergency prescription drug refill).

Last year, our volunteers donated 31,055 hours of their time to help Medicare consumers in our state. At a national average volunteer rate of $33.49 per hour, this amounts to approximately $1.04 million in valuable donated time and effort.

If you or someone you know is looking for free, unbiased help with Medicare options, please contact us at 800-562-6900 or visit www.insurance.wa.gov. 

If you would like to volunteer with SHIBA, we’d love to have you!