INFO BOX

Seniors can call the Southern Maine Agency on Aging with questions or to schedule an appointment at 1-800-427-7411.

For more information about Medicare Part D and places to find help, go to www.medicare.gov or www.smaaa.org. A complete list of the plans is also available at www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/local-plans-2007.asp.

Seniors who had trouble finding a drug plan with Medicare Part D will have another opportunity and even more options as the latest period of open enrollment begins.

From now through Dec. 31, eligible seniors will have 12 new prescription drug plans to review, bringing the total up from 41 to 53, said Carol Rancourt, an advocate with the Southern Maine Agency on Aging in Scarborough.

“It is more challenging,” said Rancourt, who helps seniors sift through the different plans each enrollment period. But, she added, with more choices comes more drug coverage and the possibility of finding a better plan.

“It all depends on your point of view,” said Rancourt. “You might find something better, but it does make it more complicated. People should be reviewing their current plan to see if there’s something better.”

Anyone who is eligible to apply, including those who were eligible in May but waited, will be able to sign up for a plan. Those who had the opportunity to apply back in May but didn’t will have to pay a one-time fee equal to 7 percent fee of their monthly premium, said Rancourt. For those who skip this enrollment period, but sign up later she added, that fee will rise to 19 percent.

Those who are already signed up with Medicare Part D don’t have to do a thing unless they want to, said Roseanne Pawelec, with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Boston. All those who are enrolled should have received a letter by Nov. 1 alerting them to any changes, and will automatically be re-enrolled unless they want to switch plans.

“By and large, we estimate that most seniors will stick with their plan,” said Pawelec.

Still, she added, she urges everyone to look at the new plans. More generic and brand-name drugs are now covered, including some drugs inside the so-called doughnut hole, or coverage gap. If an unexpected illness or injury happens, Medicare’s catastrophic coverage will cover expensive drug costs after a certain amount is paid out of pocket. The gap occurs between where normal coverage stops and catastrophic coverage begins.

For Maine, said Pawelec, nearly everyone will be able to stay with the same plan. There are about 2,000 seniors, said Pawelec, who, due to income changes, no longer qualify for a zero premium. Though about 97 percent of low-income seniors are still eligible for a zero premium, anyone who has a change in income and eligibility should check with the Social Security Administration to see what other help is available for premiums and co-pays, said Pawelec.

“Just because you can’t get Medicaid doesn’t mean you can’t get additional help,” she added.

For help with the large number of plans, seniors can call the Southern Maine Agency on Aging with questions or to schedule an appointment at 1-800-427-7411. Appointments in Scarborough run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday. Other appointments with the Agency outside of Scarborough are also available. For more information about Medicare Part D and places to find help, go to www.medicare.gov or www.smaaa.org. A complete list of the plans is also available at www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/local-plans-2007.asp.

Those who have appointments, said Rancourt, should bring their Social Security number, a list of drugs and income information.