Prescription coverage for people with Medicare started in January, but more than 8,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Maine with limited income and resources did not enroll in a plan.

The federal government recently announced that those who qualify for the Extra Help through the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage – also called Medicare Part D – may continue to sign up for a Medicare drug plan without penalty until the end of 2006.

Eastern Agency on Aging, part of the national Access to Benefits Coalition, announced a renewed effort to help people with Medicare – seniors and younger persons with disabilities – find out if they qualify for Medicare’s Extra Help.

As part of the effort, people with Medicare will receive free and confidential assistance with applying for the Extra Help program, as well as assistance with choosing the Medicare prescription drug plan that works best for them.

“People who qualify for the extra help through Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage can get 85 to 100 percent of their costs covered, including premiums – with no coverage gap – by Medicare,” said Val Sauda, director of outreach at EAA. “We want to be sure that everyone who qualifies knows about this opportunity and that we find and help to enroll them in the prescription plan that makes sense for them.”

Eastern Agency on Aging helps people with Medicare find out if they qualify for the Extra Help and enroll in the prescription coverage that works best for them.

Using sophisticated Web-based technology such as BenefitsCheckUpRx at www.BenefitsCheckUpRx.org, Eastern Agency on Aging will provide one-on-one counseling and enrollment assistance to the area’s Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes and resources.

The Access to Benefits Coalition helps seniors and younger people with disabilities get access to the prescription coverage they need, including the Extra Help available from Medicare. The coalition includes more than 100 national members and hundreds of community-based organizations in 44 coalitions in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

In addition to providing Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers with free and confidential assistance in signing up for this new benefit, Eastern Agency on Aging is encouraging the community organizations which serve this population to visit the www.AccesstoBenefits.org to get involved in the coalition and to learn how to use the decision-support tools.

For more information on signing up for Medicare Part D or the Medicare Extra Help program, call Eastern Agency on Aging at 941-2865.