Medicare-related volunteers get recognition

Medicare is a big government program. It’s detailed. It’s confusing. And people in our state actually volunteer to deal with it for people other than themselves! Rockstars.

They’re called SHIBA volunteers (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors). Gov. Jay Inslee just proclaimed May 19-25 “SHIBA Volunteer Recognition Week.”

Tim Smolen, SHIBA program manager for the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), confirmed for me these volunteers are unpaid. They are trained at no cost to them. (That’s good. A lot of people would not take on the task of helping strangers navig...