LISBON - Area residents wanting to know more about the Medicare Part D prescription plan can attend an informational open enrollment kick-off event beginning at 10 a.m. Nov. 15 at the Columbiana County Career & Technical Center in Lisbon.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program will have speakers explaining the coverage available and the options to be considered in choosing a plan, allowing for questions and answers.

Individual sessions will be available with RSVP volunteers to enroll in a plan or re-evaluate options for current plans from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Residents should call for a time slot at 330-424-7877.

"We have no ulterior motive, we're not selling insurance," RSVP Project Director Kathy Birch said. "All we want to do is make sure people make the best choice possible."

For RSVP volunteers, helping other seniors unravel the complexities of Medicare Part D or figure out how to afford medications has become a mission. To be a part of the program, volunteers must be 55 years old or older, so they have a vested interest in dealing with Medicare.

Residents should bring their Medicare card with them, along with a list of all their medications, strengths and dosages. Birch also said the workshop isn't just for seniors, but for anyone who wants to know more about Medicare Part D, including adults who may have parents dealing with the decision on what plan to use.

Open enrollment for Medicare Part D begins Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31 each year, giving anyone who hasn't enrolled a chance to see what's available and enroll and anyone already enrolled a chance to change plans.

Medicare Part D was started in January 2006 to give seniors 65 years old or older or those with disabilities a choice of insurance plans for prescription drugs. Seniors can sign up within three months after their 65th birthday.

Birch explained that every year, these plans can change their premium cost or the specific drugs they cover. A plan which covers a certain drug one year can remove that drug from the list the next year.

"Some companies will put restrictions on certain brand name drugs, such as quantity limits or insist the patient go under step therapy," she said, noting that they'll insist the patient take over-the-counter or generic drugs first before going to the next step of the more expensive brand name drug.

RSVP will have computers on-site at the workshop so volunteers can see which plans cover the drugs a resident needs to take. She said the whole idea will be to make sure people are getting the best deal for their needs or the most cost effective plan which covers all of their medications.

Birch said everybody has different needs and it's not good to just pick a plan based on some flyer received in the mail.

The volunteers can also check to see if residents may qualify for a low-income subsidy for extra help in paying premiums or out-of-pocket expenses, especially if they've reached the maximum limit for a year, sometimes referred to as the "donut hole."

The help is available for single people with an annual income below $15,600 and assets of less than$11,900 or a couple with an income less than $21,000 per year with assets of less than $23,970.

Birch said about 18,000 people in Columbiana County rely on Medicare, with 7,500 of them eligible for the low income subsidy.

RSVP receives United Way funding and is endorsed by Salem Community Hospital and East Liverpool City Hospital. The county has about 50 volunteers who work for a variety of non-profit organizations through RSVP.

Since 1999, the program has operated a free drug assistance plan to help low-income people of all ages get their prescriptions for free. They used to have about 1,900 people on the plan, but the numbers dropped to 1,000 when Medicare Part D came along. Birch said people on Medicare may be able to start applying for help through the drug assistance plan beginning in 2009, to help with out-of-pocket costs or the "donut hole." The drug assistance plan gets about $1 million worth of drugs to residents per year.

"It's really been a Godsend for a lot of people," she said.

Anyone who can't attend the workshop but wants to evaluate their options can still call RSVP for help at 330-424-7787 or 330-420-9905. The open enrollment period lasts through Dec. 31, but people just turning 65 can also get help throughout the year since they have a three-month window after their birthday.

Besides Birch, RSVP also has Donna Versella as medication program assistance coordinator and Muriel Ward as the coordinator for Medicare problems.

The medication assistance program offers the following times and sites for people to sign up or get information, with all sites open from 9:30 a.m. to noon:

first Wednesday of each month, First United Methodist Church, 114 E. Washington St., Lisbon

second Wednesday of each month, Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 110 Maine Boulevard, East Liverpool

third Wednesday of each month, First Christian Church, 831 Main St., Wellsville

fourth Tuesday of each month, First Christian Church, 1151 E. Sixth St., Salem.