Senior citizens trying to sort through their options for Medicare's upcoming prescription drug program will be able to go online Monday to figure out which plans may work best for them.

The initial enrollment period to sign up for a Medicare-approved drug program runs from Nov. 15 through May 15. Medicare officials are calling the program the most important change in the program's 40-year history.

Medicare traditionally has covered only doctor visits, hospital stays and life-saving surgeries. But as of Jan. 1, the program will add prescription drug coverage that pays a portion of both brand-name and generic drug costs at participating pharmacies. According to Medicare, a typical person with Medicare and no drug coverage could see total drug costs drop by about 50 percent.

But to get the added coverage, seniors have to sign up for a plan that is right for them. Picking the right plan from among many private providers is complicated.

Although senior citizens cannot begin selecting a drug program until Nov. 15, they — or someone helping them — can go online Monday at www.medicare .gov and use Medicare's online program to review the various options. They also can call (800) 633-4227.

The state's Sage PLUS Program, part of the Executive Office on Aging, also has been mailing two-page worksheets to senior citizens. The Sage PLUS worksheets are available by calling 586-7299.

Once you fill out the form and send it in, a Sage PLUS volunteer will input the data into Medicare's online program and mail you a list of the plans that fit your needs, according to program director Pamela Cunningham.

The most critical information senior citizens will need to provide is a list of every prescription drug they take, the cost of each drug and the pharmacy where they would like to get their drugs, Cunningham said.

The sign-up period for the new prescription drug benefit begins Nov. 15. So there is no need to sign up for anything before then.

The plans can be confusing, and seniors are advised to seek assistance through Medicare or Sage PLUS.

Sheri Oishi, Kaiser Permanente's director of Medicare, has been helping her parents and mother-in-law navigate through all of the plans to try to figure out which prescription drug plans they should sign up for — or whether it's best to keep their existing plans.

So Oishi appreciates the confusion among Hawai'i's senior citizens — and their adult children who are trying to make sense of all of the information.

"Some people don't even realize what's going on," Oishi said. "Others are getting really confused. I do work on Medi-care issues, so I can imagine that for someone who has to advise their parents and does not know about Medicare — it can be really hard."

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.