Parsing Through Prescription Plans

It's that time of year again.

Millions of seniors are once again confronting the issue of Medicare Part D, with the new enrollment period for the prescription drug plan starting Wednesday and running through Dec. 31.

Even seniors who already signed up for a plan should take a few minutes to compare plans and figure out whether they should switch to get a better deal. The only way to find the best plan is to access the Medicare.gov Web site -- a task that is foreign to many seniors. If you're not a senior, that's where you can help.

The concept is intimidating, but this year the process is much easier because the government has completely revamped the Medicare site.

I'll walk you through the simple steps below. Then you can sign up yourself, or look to a senior who's mystified -- maybe your grandmother, or the nice lady down the hall in your condo building -- and offer to help. It should take less than 15 minutes.

Just remember: All seniors aged 65 and up should sign up for Medicare Part D, even if they don't take any prescription drugs right now.

An exception would be if a senior is still working and has prescription benefits, or if a retiree has prescription benefits that have similar "credible" coverage. If that coverage ends, they can sign up later without penalty. Veterans who get prescriptions from the VA don't need to sign up for Part D -- but vets should check out the program, since the VA doesn't cover all prescription drugs.