ALBANY - Some 1,629 people in Linn County may be eligible for help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage, but have not yet applied for the program that provides it.

The low-income subsidy, worth an average of $3,700 a year for participants, pays for all or part of the monthly premiums and annual deductibles, fills in the coverage gap, and lowers the prescription co-payments. Those who qualify can join a Medicare drug plan immediately and pay very little out of pocket for their medications.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that these Linn County residents are part of an estimated 40,204 Medicare beneficiaries in Oregon and 3.3 million beneficiaries nationwide who potentially qualify for the subsidy but have yet to apply. Medicare enrollment for Linn County equaled 20,060 beneficiaries in 2005 and 71 percent of these beneficiaries had drug coverage by June 11, 2006.

&#8220Unfortunately, people who qualify for programs like this often are challenging to reach. Only about a third of those who qualify for government assistance programs ever sign up for them," said Monica Kosman, president of Oregon's chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a partner of the Medicare Rx Access Network of Oregon. &#8220Access to medications is critical to health, so there is a special urgency to reach as many people as possible who qualify for this prescription-drug subsidy and encourage them to apply."

To qualify, an individual must be on Medicare and have an annual income below $14,700 and assets limited to $11,500, not including a house or car. For couples, the limits are $19,800 in income and $23,000 in assets. Those who qualify can immediately join a Medicare drug plan for coverage in 2006, with no penalty or waiting period. After the first of each calendar year, HHS releases the official &#8220Federal Poverty Level." Income limits for &#8220extra help" may therefore increase in 2007.

There is no cost or obligation to apply, so those who think they may be eligible should complete an application as soon as possible. Linn County residents can apply at their local Social Security office, over the phone by calling Social Security at (800) 772-1213, and online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Assistance is also available by calling 800-722-4134 or 800-MEDICARE [(800) 633-4227]; TTY users should call (877) 486-2048.