FERRIDAY &8212; It is not every day that you can cut your pharmacy expenses in half.

That is exactly what Joe Lancaster and wife Jimmie did when they went Monday to get advice on signing up for a prescription drug plan.

The couple joined 35 others who came to Ferriday&8217;s Louisiana Technical College campus to visit with representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies and get answers about Medicare Part D.

Like many seniors who have tried to figure out the complicated Medicare prescription benefit, the Lancasters had many questions about the program.

By the time they left Monday, not only did they leave with a customized list of plans that would benefit them most, they also left feeling a little easier about the government&8217;s plan.

&8220;I don&8217;t understand completely,&8221; Jimmie said, &8220;But I am understanding better.&8221;

&8220;It has been very beneficial to (the Lancasters),&8221; Medicare RX representative Liz Carroll said. &8220;We have saved Mr. Lancaster over half of his original prescription bill.&8221;

Caroll sat down with the Lancasters, reviewed their current prescriptions and then developed a list of the prescription plans

available that would benefit them most.

&8220;It is complex for a reason,&8221; Caroll said. &8220;The plans are customized to an individual person&8217;s needs.

&8220;No one would want the plan if they were all the same. You want something that will work for you.&8221;

But for those who do their homework and spend the time, the new prescription plan can be very beneficial, said Donna Kyle, a representative for the Centers for Medicare Medicaid services.

&8220;When they finish many say, &8216;That was easier than I thought,&8217;&8221; Kyle said.

Seniors have until May 15 to sign up for a prescription plans, Kyle said.

To sign up, seniors can either visit the Medicare Web site at www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Each state offers a different set of insurance plans. For specific information about plans available in Louisiana call the Senior Health Insurance Information Program at 1-800-259-5300 and in Mississippi call the Mississippi Insurance and Assistance Program at 1-800-948-3090.

For those who choose to join after the May 15 deadline premium costs will go up 1 percent for every month after the enrollment date, Kyle said.