Gather data, consider key factors before choosing a plan
How to begin the process of selecting a Medicare drug plan: Gather basic information
Detail your drug regimen, including the names of the drugs you take, the dosage and frequency, and whether you receive your medications by mail or from a local pharmacy.
Request a copy of your current health plan, including details about how you pay for prescription drugs.
Have available a copy of your Medicare card, which shows when you began receiving benefits. ''When I speak to a bunch of seniors, I say the first question to ask is, 'Do you have drug coverage or not?' " said Dr. Charlotte Yeh, Boston regional director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal agency that oversees the new drug benefit. ''If you don't have drug coverage, you absolutely ought to sign up for a drug plan."
Recruit an ally
Medicare specialists and senior advocates urge seniors to work with a trusted family member. Even those who are computer-literate and do not have any disabilities can benefit from outside input.
''A lot of people will most likely need help if they want to go about this in a systematic way," said Tricia Neuman, vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that analyzes healthcare issues. ''The alternative is to take a chance and sign up for a plan that has the prettiest ad, and that may not be in your best interest."
Consider key factors
Medicare officials and drug benefit specialists suggest that seniors and their family members consider three key factors when choosing a drug benefit plan.
Cost: How much do you spend on drug coverage now? Are the premiums a financial burden, or would you prefer higher premiums and lower out-of-pocket expenses?
Coverage: How much does your current drug plan cover? Do you expect to spend more than $2,250 in annual expenses? If so, it could put you in the so-called ''doughnut hole," the range for which many of the new Medicare drug programs will not provide coverage. Some plans with higher premiums offer coverage through the gap range, which tops off at $5,100. If you don't take many medications, a lower-cost plan with less coverage may make sense.
Convenience: Do you prefer to get drugs from a local pharmacy or from a mail-order service?
''Applying the three C's goes a long way toward reducing 50 or 60 plans to a small group for comparison," said George Kelemen, national manager of the Medicare Rx outreach campaign at AARP.
Another factor to consider is a plan's ''formulary," a list of the drugs it covers. Formularies can be found using the Medicare Planfinder Web tool at www.medicare.gov, or through the websites of individual drug plans.
''The main question I hear from seniors is 'Will my drug be covered by the plan?,' " said Marion Aspinall, state director of Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders, or SHINE, which is conducting informational meetings around the state. While the enrollment period starts tomorrow, anyone who enrolls by Dec. 31 will receive coverage starting Jan. 1, and enrollment for 2006 will remain open through May 15.
JEFFREY KRASNER 
