BLOOMINGTON -- People eligible for Medicare prescription drug coverage for the first time -- and those who have had coverage during the past four years -- should make sure they have the right plan for 2010, senior advocates said.

Sign-up for the fifth year of Medicare Part D coverage began Nov. 15 and concludes Dec. 31. But Mike O'Donnell, executive director of the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, said Medicare beneficiaries -- people age 65 and older and those younger with a disability -- should enroll before Christmas to ensure coverage begins Jan. 1.

Retirees pleased with their employer-based coverage may not need to examine Medicare Part D coverage, O'Donnell said. But retirees who have been notified of plan changes may want to check whether their plan remains as good or better than Medicare Part D coverage, he said.

Medicare beneficiaries who have had drug coverage should investigate their options because their existing plan may have changed for 2010 and may no longer be the best plan for them, said SHIP coordinator Tarry Plattner.

"Don't take anything for granted," O'Donnell said. "Now is the time to review your coverage."

O'Donnell suggested going to www.medicare.gov to compare the 46 plans available in Illinois. Have your social security number, birth date and list of medicines and doses ready, he said.

People uncomfortable navigating the Web site may get help from the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) at YWCA Senior Services and at PATH (Providing Access To Help).

As you weigh different plans, considerations include whether the plans cover your medicines, whether the premium of your existing plan is increasing, annual deductibles and co-pays, Plattner and O'Donnell said. The average monthly premium in Illinois is $46.

Help is available

• Compare Medicare prescription drug plans by setting an appointment with a YWCA/SHIP counselor between Monday and Dec. 11 at the Miller Park Senior Center, 309-434-2255, or at the Normal Senior Activity Center, 309-888-9099.

• PATH senior outreach workers also help beneficiaries determine whether they qualify for assistance through Illinois Cares Rx or for extra help through Social Security. In McLean County, call 309-834-0589. In DeWitt County, call 309-834-0543.

• People who are Medicare eligible because they have a disability and are under 60 may call LIFE Center for Independent Living, 309-663-5433.

SOURCES: Tarry Plattner, SHIP; Kathryn Johnson, PATH; Mike O'Donnell, Area Agency on Aging