The Area Agency on Aging and Disability provides Medicare information, education and counseling through the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP). SHIP offers unbiased, objective information free of cost to Medicare beneficiaries and to the community at large. SHIP offices are in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. TN SHIP has nine regional offices throughout the state, with the greater Nashville office located in the heart of downtown. SHIP staff and their well-trained volunteer base provide education and information via public forums, workshops, one-on-one counseling, health fairs, etc. The goal of SHIP is to assess, inform, advocate, protect, educate, and empower Medicare beneficiaries. SHIP provides a much-needed tool to negotiate the often-confusing maze of Medicare benefits. • Medicare Parts A, B, C & D • Medigap or Medicare Supplement Insurance • Medicare Advantage Plans • Medicare Savings Programs and Extra help (Low Income Subsidy) SHIP along with the AAAD work closely with the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to help detect Medicare fraud. SMP helps Medicare and beneficiaries avoid, detect, and report fraudulent practices. They protect beneficiaries and help preserve the integrity of the Medicare program by recovering and avoiding the billions of dollars typically lost to health care fraud each year.