By Adam Stolte, District Representative

It’s that busy, stressful time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the election cycle or even preparing for holiday celebrations and shopping. It’s time to review your Medicare health and/or prescription drug plan. Are you ready? I know there is a lot of tedious information to review but it is important to go over this information – even if you feel your current plan is working well for you.

The good news is that most people will be able to switch to a Prescription Drug Plan with a lower premium in 2009. You should review your current plan and compare it to coverage and costs for the upcoming year because plans can change their premiums and what they cover every year. There are 48 prescription drug plans and more than 60 health plans to choose from in Kansas; it’s likely that one will meet your needs better than the plan you now have.

You may be thinking, “How can I possibly compare all of the health and prescription plans to determine which one has the best premiums, co pays and deductibles? Which one covers my medications and the services I need? And, how can I find out which plan works with my doctor and pharmacy?” However, there are many resources available to make this tough decision quite a bit more manageable.

The “Medicare and You 2009” handbook is set for delivery in late October. It is also available online at www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf. This should be considered a starting point for everyone because it provides information about premiums, co pays, deductibles, beneficiary choices and covered services.

You can speak directly with Medicare representatives at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to review and compare plans. The Medicare homepage ( www.medicare.gov ) is a good site to compare costs and coverage. It can also help you get an estimate of your yearly expenses for each plan.

Kansas has a great program, Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK), which provides expert advice on choosing your 2009 Medicare health and prescription drug plan. Visit their website at www.agingkansas.org or call them at 1-800-860-5260.

And, don’t hesitate to reach out to family or friends for advice if you are confused or uncertain about information on the various plans.

As always, if you have any trouble with the process, feel free to give us a call at our district offices at 785-234-8111 in Topeka or 620-231-3011 in Pittsburg. We would be happy to help in any way that we can.