What you need to know ...

You can still sign up for a Medicare Prescription Drug plan and pay no penalty for 2006 if you qualify for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs. Medicare beneficiaries eligible for the extra help have a special enrollment period that allows them to enroll in a plan between May 15 and December 31. Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for the extra help if they have limited income and resources. The extra help can increase your cost savings by paying for part of the monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments under the new prescription drug program. The extra help could be worth an average of $3,700 per year.

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173), enacted December 8, 2003, requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to undertake a number of additional Medicare-related responsibilities. SSA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are working together to provide persons with limited income and resources extra help paying for their prescription drugs. Social Security's role in this partnership is to help the public understand how they may qualify and apply.

Apply Online:

• See if you qualify for help with Medicare prescription drug costs.

• Apply for help with Medicare prescription drug costs.

Whether you're filing on your own behalf or helping someone file the application, submit the Internet application to us right away to avoid delaying the extra help.

• If you automatically qualified for extra help last year, but no longer automatically qualify, visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MyHealthMyMedicare/ for more information.

• Instructions for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs, (SSA-1020-INST) are available in 16 different languages Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese.The instructions are only guidelines and are not to be used as applications.

You must complete the online application (available in English) or an official paper application (available in English or Spanish) that you can obtain by calling us at 1-800-772-1213.

• Appeal of Determination for Help with Date Received: Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs, (SSA-1021). To appeal the decision we made about your eligibility for help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs.To appeal the decision we made about your eligibility for help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs. (English and Spanish PDF)
  
  
• Sample: Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Notice of Review. (SSA-L1026).The actual notice you will receive will be tailored to your personal situation and will not be identical to this sample. (English and Spanish PDF)
  
  
• Social Security Administration Review Of Your Eligibility For Extra Help, (SSA-1026). To review your continuing eligibility for extra help with Medicare Prescription Drug plan costs. (English and Spanish PDF)
  

• Medicare outreach posters
  
  
• The following Medicare prints are avaiable in other languages (8.5" x 11" PDF format) to download and print (pdf). Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Spanish2, Tagalog, Vietnamese
  
  
• Informational videos about help available to pay costs of Medicare's prescription drug program
  
  
• Program guide for organizations
  

Although Social Security determines entitlement to Medicare benefits, the Medicare program is administered by a different agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). There also is a Medicare Web site. You can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to speak to a Medicare Customer Service Representative. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.