Q. What is Medicare Part D?

A. Prior to Jan. 1, Medicare did not cover the cost of prescription drugs, stranding millions of Americans who couldn’t afford their medications but weren’t poor enough to qualify for government assistance, i.e. Medicaid.

Medicare Part D offers Medicare recipients a form of insurance to help cover the ever-increasing costs of prescription drugs.

Q. Who’s eligible?

A. Generally, anyone who is eligible for Medicare is eligible for Medicare Plan D.

Q. How much are the premiums?

A. They vary, depending on the level of coverage. But the national average is between $30 and $35 a month.

Q. Do I have to sign up?

A. No, you don’t. It’s voluntary.

But there’s a catch: If you don’t sign up when you’re eligible, you’ll be charged a 1 percent higher premium for each month you’re not in.

That may not sound like much, but there’s another catch: After May 15, you won’t be able to sign up again until Nov. 15 for coverage that won’t kick in until Jan. 1, 2007 – that’s considered a seven-month wait. So your premiums will be at least 7 percent higher than if you’d signed up by May 15.

Q. Why should I sign up if I’m not taking any prescription drugs?

A. Again, you don’t have to sign up. But Medicare Part D is prescription-drug insurance, and being without it is like being without any other form of insurance. It’s a risk.

Q. Why are there so many plans?

A. Medicare Part D assumes that the best way to hold down prescription drug costs is through private-sector competition. In other words: The more, the merrier.

In Kansas, 40 different plans are available through 16 different companies.

But keep in mind that each plan is designed to meet a different need. So, really, only three or four plans are likely to fit your circumstances.

Q. How do I sign up?

A. Three ways:

l Through one of the 16 companies

l Through the Medicare Web site: www.Medicare.gov

l Call the Medicare toll-free number 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

It’s best to call Medicare during off-peak hours, either in the morning or at night, otherwise expect to be on hold for several minutes. Twenty-minute waits are not unusual.

Q. How do I pay?

A. You can have your monthly premiums deducted from your Social Security checks or debited from your bank account. Or your company can send you a bill.

Q. What number do I call to talk to a human being who can walk me through all this?

A. Your best bet is to call either Douglas County Senior Services, 842-0543, or Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, 785-235-1367.

If you live in Jefferson County, call Jefferson County Service Organization, 785-863-2637.

Q. Which plans appear to be most popular?

A. “It’s all across the board,” said Katie Glendening, a community service program assistant at Douglas County Senior Services. “Humana appears to be popular because it has a plan that has more than prescription drugs. But a lot of people ask about Blue Cross Blue Shield or United Health Care, which is the AARP plan.”