The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as SHIP, is part of a larger federal spending bill that details appropriations for health, education and labor programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee cut SHIP as well as a dozen other programs from the bill in June, according to the article.
The House Appropriations Committee expects to approve the spending bill next week, after which the bill heads to the House and Senate floors.
SHIP counselors advised more than 7 million Medicare beneficiaries on billing, drug plan options, appeals and other health issues last year, reports Kaiser Health News.
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