Gov. Inslee honors SHIBA program volunteers with recognition week
Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed May 19-25, 2024, as “SHIBA Volunteer Recognition Week,” to appreciate the selfless, dedicated Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) volunteers around the state. SHIBA volunteers work diligently to help people in Washington state on Medicare navigate the health care system and make educated health insurance choices that best fit their personal needs.
The governor’s proclamation highlights the importance of honoring “those who give their time, talent and resources for the betterment of their communities” and “unite people from different backgrounds and allow us to truly see and hear one another.”
“We have so many long-term volunteers,” said Tim Smolen, SHIBA Program Manager. “People who were here before I came and will be here after I depart. It’s a humbling experience to be a part of a program that inspires such devoted service. I’m inspired by our volunteers.”
This year, the SHIBA program is celebrating 45 years of helping people on Medicare. The program, which started in 1976 with a small group of volunteers in Mount Vernon, was officially endorsed as a statewide project with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) in 1979 and inspired the federal government in 1990 to create a model called the national State Health Insurance Programs (SHIP). All 50 states plus Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have a SHIP today.
Please join us in thanking the SHIBA volunteers who demonstrate each day the commitment to their communities and the people who live in them.
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