SHIBA is always seeking new volunteers who want to help others in their community. Like untangling a twisted wad of fishing line, unraveling Medicare can be complicated. SHIBA volunteer counselors and educators are trained to pull the knot apart, strand by strand until the end of the line becomes obvious.
As a SHIBA volunteer you’ll gain valuable experience. You’ll become an expert on Medicare health, hospitalization, prescription, and supplemental insurance. You’ll also share in the gratification of providing invaluable guidance to people in your community.
SHIBA can help individuals compare their options, solve problems with their insurance, help with understanding medical bills, finding resources to reduce medical and prescription costs, and identifying and reporting fraud. The SHIBA program does not sell insurance or recommend companies or policies but provides unbiased information.
We want every Idahoan to have access to unbiased, free Medicare guidance.
What do volunteer counselors do?
SHIBA volunteers provide a wide range of service. Our certified Medicare counselors provide answers to many Idahoans with their insurance questions.
When someone contacts SHIBA for help, we strive to get an understanding of their situation or problem and then we set up an appointment with a certified SHIBA counselor in their community. The counselor contacts the individual by phone or in person to tackle their problem or provide them with education. Our partner organizations provide our counselors space to conduct Medicare counseling in a safe, and unbiased learning environment.
We are also looking for volunteers that have other talents or interests. Some of our volunteers specialize in data-entry, making appointment reminders, greeting people at events, doing presentations or other things that benefit the SHIBA program and those we serve. We welcome any unique skills you can bring to our program!
Training to be a certified SHIBA volunteer:
Our staff provides extensive training, starting with online training that you can do at your own pace. This gives you basic understanding of our program requirements and the Medicare program.
Following that a new volunteer will shadow/be shadowed by a certified volunteer, partner, or staff member until you are comfortable to be on your own.