Washington ? With most of Medicare’s $336-billion budget devoted to treating the debilitating consequences of chronic illnesses, officials say they want to close a “prevention gap” created by senior citizens’ low use of preventive services.

Medicare has lagged behind employer-financed health plans in recognizing the value of preventing illnesses. But the government program that provides health care for 43 million elderly and disabled people will launch a campaign this summer to inform beneficiaries how to make better use of recently expanded preventive services.

The campaign will feature a special effort to reach minorities ages 65 and older – a group that is among the least likely to get preventive care and suffers higher rates of some chronic illnesses.

In addition, the 2007 Medicare handbook will focus on preventive care.