QUESTION: My 84-year-old great aunt has no income except her monthly Social Security check, but she has what she calls "a rainy day" savings account in case she gets really sick. Do you think she will qualify for the extra help under the Medicare drug benefit?ANSWER: It is hard to say whether your great aunt will qualify for the extra help under the Medicare drug benefit. However, if you think she may qualify, it is a good idea for her to apply. People on Medicare who qualify for low-income assistance can get significant help with their drug expenses under a Medicare drug plan.The Medicare drug benefit is available to all people on Medicare — without regard to their income. But, there is extra help available to people with low incomes and modest resources. To qualify for this additional assistance, an individual must have less than about $15,000 in annual income and less than $11,500 in resources (couples can have higher incomes and resources).A house and car do not count toward the resource limit. However, stocks, bonds, checking and savings accounts, and retirement accounts do count as resources. So, if your great aunt has more than $11,500 in savings, she probably won't qualify for the extra help.It would probably be a good idea for her to go ahead and apply for the low-income assistance if you think there is any chance she might qualify. For more information on applying, she can call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or visit it online at www.ssa.gov. Alternatively, she can contact her state Medicaid office.In addition, if she hasn't already signed up for a Medicare prescription drug plan, it would be a good idea to do so between now and May 15. If it turns out that she doesn't qualify for low-income assistance, there are still good reasons to be enrolled in a Medicare drug plan.———

QUESTION: I signed up for a Medicare drug plan in March and still haven't received my insurance card. I need to fill my prescriptions but am concerned that I'll be charged the full amount for them without my card. What do I do?ANSWER: If you signed up for a plan in March, you should have received a letter by now from the company offering your Medicare drug plan that confirms your enrollment. Typically, the plan sends out a letter first and then follows up by sending out the card.This letter can be used as proof of insurance at the pharmacy until your card arrives. Your pharmacist can use this letter to confirm your enrollment with the Medicare drug plan and to charge you the appropriate copayments for your drugs. The letter should work just like a card, which means that your plan should begin to pay a significant portion of your prescription costs.If you have not received such a letter from the company offering the Medicare drug plan that you think you are enrolled in, you should contact the company to verify your enrollment. Alternatively, you may want to call Medicare's hotline at 800-MEDICARE for additional assistance.

QUESTION: I never got around to applying for Medicare Part D, or for the extra help. What should I do now?ANSWER: You're in luck! There will be no late enrollment penalties in 2007, for people who qualify for the extra help. This means that if you have limited income and qualify for the extra help but didn't sign up during your initial enrollment period, you can do so now and still not have to pay a penalty. If you do not qualify for the extra help, you must wait for the next enrollment period for the Medicare prescription drug program, andyou may have to pay a penalty.

For more information about Medicare's prescription drug program and special enrollment periods, visit www.medicare.gov. To learn more about the extra help and to apply, visit Social Security's Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov.