Where to find additional information

1-800-MEDICARE: To get specific information from this government help line, you will need to have available a Medicare card, along with detailed information about your drug regimen.

www.medicare.gov: The official government website. A tool to identify locally available drug plans allows users to compare some benefits.

Serving Health Information Needs for Elders (SHINE): This organization is sponsoring explanatory meetings through municipal councils on aging. To learn about upcoming meetings, check with your local council on aging, visit www.medicareoutreach.org, or call 800-243-4636.

www.kff.org: The website for the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that studies healthcare issues. The ''Resources on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit" section contains links to a series of cogent overviews of the plan.

Medicare Advocacy Project: Not all drug plans provide coverage for all drugs. The advocacy project's lawyers can help Massachusetts residents who want to challenge a drug plan that does not cover their essential medications. Call Boston Legal Services at 1-800-323-3205 and ask for ''Medicare intake."

AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons): The Massachusetts AARP has two booklets that help explain the Medicare drug benefit. To receive them, call 1-866-448-3621.

JEFFREY KRASNER