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County SHINE program reports record year, over 7,000 beneficiary contacts
Summary
Barnstable County’s SHINE Medicare counseling program told commissioners it reached more beneficiaries than ever in 2025 and relies on volunteers and local councils on aging to deliver free, unbiased Medicare help across Cape Cod.
Christina Witton O’Brien, program manager for SHINE in Barnstable County, told the commission the federal- and state-funded counseling program logged its largest year yet, providing Medicare assistance across the Cape and Islands.
“SHINE stands for serving the health insurance needs of everyone on Medicare,” Christina Witton O’Brien said. She described SHINE as free, volunteer‑driven counseling that also coordinates with MassHealth and community partners. "If you look at this past year in 2025, we had over 7,000 contacts with beneficiaries," she said, citing county data that also showed about 712 people were served in Yarmouth in 2025, with 91% of those visits taking place at the local council on aging.
The presentation explained SHINE’s staffing and training model: a small county‑administered staff supports roughly 71 counselors in the region (about 72% volunteers), and volunteers complete roughly 40 hours of state training with annual recertification. Commissioners praised the program’s hands‑on approach; Commissioner Lyons, a former social‑work professional, said the program provides continuity for people transitioning to Medicare.
Program leaders emphasized outreach and access improvements: multilingual phone translation, partnerships with community health centers and councils on aging, and planned recruitment to expand counseling in rural and bridge‑traffic communities. The county said SHINE’s funding comes largely from the federal Administration for Community Living, supplemented by state aging programs and county support.
Christina and Mandy Speakman, deputy director of Barnstable County Human Services, invited further collaboration with councils on aging and volunteers to maintain the program’s outreach and training efforts. The commissioners did not take formal action but expressed support for wider promotion and continued county backing.
The county plans to sustain volunteer recruitment and outreach during open enrollment and to continue reporting service metrics to the commission.
