Starting Jan. 1, 2006, a new program will become effective called: Prescription Drug Program. Are you ready?

Do you know what this is and what it means to you? This is the new Medicare Part D, which you have been hearing about.

If not, help is available. A brief overview of this program will be given by Brenda at the Homer Senior Center on Oct. 21 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Materials (information) will be available, plus questions and answers.

At present this is the latest news that I have available. The state of Alaska will allow 11 insurance prescription drug plans to solicit Medicare recipients in Alaska to enroll in the new prescription drug programs. The state of Alaska will allow all 11 plans to do telemarketing in Alaska.

If you start receiving telephone solicitations, do not, I repeat, do not give any personal information to any of these companies over the phone. Scam is already starting to take place in Alaska. Give out no information, no Social Security numbers, no Medicare numbers, no bank account information, etc.

Tell each company that calls you to send you their information by mail.

Do not enroll in the very first plan you may be offered. It may not be a plan that will suit your needs. You must do comparison shopping between each plan.

Also, it will be important that we know which prescription drug plans our local pharmacies will be honoring. Of the 11 plans, our local pharmacies may only choose to participate in only a few plans. At that time, you can compare the plans that our local pharmacies will honor.

Also, at this meeting you will be told about the “Alaska Stand Alone” drug cards and the National Drug Card for you “snowbirders.” We will also discuss the extra help from Social Security and the State of Alaska Drug Wraparound program.

Hope to see you at this meeting: Friday, Oct. 21, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the dining room at Homer Senior Citizens, Inc.

Brenda Steenblock

Community Medicare counselor