YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
By DAVID BROWN

Medicare beneficiaries who did not enroll in a Medicare drug plan by the May 15 deadline will need to wait until the next annual enrollment period (Nov. 15-Dec. 31). But if you are eligible for the extra help that is available under the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, you can join a Medicare drug plan at any time in 2006 without paying a penalty.

The extra help can pay for part of the monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments under the new prescription drug program, and it could be worth an average of $3,700 per year. Basically, you may qualify for extra help if your income is below $14,700 a year as a single person or below $19,800 a year if you're married and living with your spouse. Your total resources must be less than $10,000 if you are single or $20,000 if you are married and living with your spouse. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds, but do not include your house and car. And resources can be slightly higher (an additional $1,500 per person) if you will use some of your money for burial expenses.

Also, if you first become eligible for Medicare in February 2006 or after, you can enroll in a drug plan during your initial enrollment period of seven months - three months before and three months after the month you become eligible for Medicare.

If you think that you might qualify for the extra help, you can complete an online application at http://www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325- 0778) and a representative will assist you in filing an application over the phone. For more information about the prescription drug program itself, you can go to www.medicare.gov .

Mr. Brown is District Manager of the Social Security Administration's Downtown New York Office.