Starting January 1, 2006 Medicare will offer new prescription drug coverage. This new coverage can provide help with your drug costs, no matter how you pay for them today. Everyone with Medicare can join a drug plan to get this coverage. And, everyone with Medicare must make a decision about their drug coverage. Remember, If you choose not to join when you are first eligible, and later change your mind, you may have to pay a penalty.

Medicare prescription drug coverage will help you with your drug costs. For a typical person with Meidicare, this coverage, on average, will pay 50% of your drug costs next year. Your savings could be more or less than this amount. You can take advantage of this coverage by joining a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and keeping the rest of your Medicare coverage just the way it is.

You will genreally get better coverage and save money with the new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan than with your current coverage. Medicare coverage will never run out if you have high drug costs.

You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-433-6227) or visit www.medicare.gov for more information.

Medicare Health Plans

Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.)

The Original Medicare Plan pays for many health care services and supplies, but it doesn't pay all your health care costs, or cover prescription drugs.

Medicare Advantage Plans and other Medicare Health Plans are health plan options that are part of the Medicare Program. If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare covered health care through that plan. This coverage can include prescription drug coverage. Medicare pays a set amount of money for your care every month to these private health plans whether or not you use the services. In most of these plans, generally there are extra benefits and lower co-payments than with the Original Medicare Plan.

Medicare Advantage Plans include: Medicare HMO's, Medicare PPO's, Medicare Special Needs Plans, and Medicare Private Fee-For-Service Plans.

You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-433-6227) or visit www.medicare.gov for more information.