As individuals retire or age into Medicare, their insurance situation can change dramatically. There are a multitude of options open to those with Medicare. The terms, prices and products offered are dramatically different each year.

The purpose of this column is to give those who are eligible for Medicare, or soon to be eligible for Medicare, some understanding of their insurance options and how it could impact their health and finances.

These questions and answers are meant as a guide to help you understand the complex questions you are now thinking about. Each individual's specific situation may create a different solution. You shouldn't necessarily do what your friends, family and neighbors do.

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Question: I have had EPIC for a number of years, but because of moving some of my money around and paying down some debts, I have lost EPIC. They consider my income too high this year. What do I do now? I know I need drug coverage, but don't know where to start.

Answer: I have run into seniors losing EPIC in this situation before. Some seniors have lost EPIC because they take money from an annuity to fix their roof, buy a car, etc. The reason doesn't really matter. I will explain what happens and what you can do in this situation.

EPIC does have a maximum amount of money you can earn to receive this benefit. EPIC is a state subsidized pharmacy assistance program. If your income is too high, you can't be accepted into the plan. This applies to individuals as well as couples. EPIC considers both you and your spouse's income - if you have one - even if you are not both applying for EPIC.

In the situation that you are in, you have a couple of choices. You can contact EPIC and see if they figured your income correctly or if there was a mistake in processing your application. If there was a mistake, you may still be eligible.

If the figures were calculated correctly and you have lost EPIC, you now have a special enrollment period available to you to use. This period allows you to join a Medicare Part D plan. Not everyone needs Medicare Part D. You only need Medicare Part D if you don't have creditable coverage from another source. If you don't have other drug coverage, like a retiree plan or VA coverage, you will want to join a Part D plan. This time span allows you two months to research your options and choose a plan to join. The 60 days starts when your EPIC coverage ends.

For those individuals who already have a Medicare Part D plan, they can use this enrollment period to join a different plan. You may have chosen your plan with EPIC as a back up for those drugs that weren't covered by your plan. Now that you don't have EPIC, you may want to rethink that choice. You may want to try to find a plan that covers all of your medications as you no longer have EPIC. You may have chosen a less expensive monthly premium as EPIC was going to be there for you when that coverage ran out. Losing EPIC is a good reason to reevaluate that decision. You may want or need more comprehensive coverage from your Part D plan.

This SEP also applies to those in a Medicare Advantage plan. Let me explain that a little further. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan - HMO, PPO or PFFS - you also have this same special enrollment period. This is an opportunity to switch to an alternative company, plan and even type of plan. You can switch from an HMO without drug coverage to an HMO with drug coverage, from an HMO to a PPO, or from an HMO with drug coverage to a Medicare Supplement plan with a stand alone drug plan.

If you already have Medicare supplemental insurance with drug coverage, you can now switch to another company's plan. You can also switch to a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage.

The options go on and on for the changes you can make. But remember in the end you need to have drug coverage from a creditable source. For you that source might have been EPIC, but it is no longer. These special enrollment periods are like a ''get out of jail free card'' in Monopoly. It gives you an extra opportunity to change your drug coverage to a more beneficial situation for you. If you aren't sure if this special enrollment period applies to you, call (800)medicare, go to www.medicare.gov, your local OFA office, or call me with questions.

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Janell Sluga is a geriatric care manager certified and works for Senior Life Matters, a program of Lutheran Senior Housing. She has worked in Chautauqua County with Seniors for more than 16 years. She is HIICAP - Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program - counselor trained by Office For the Aging.

She does not sell insurance, or represent any insurance company. She is an unbiased source of insurance and education to help seniors choose the best option for them.

You may submit questions to be answered in later columns to Janell Sluga, at Senior Life Matters 737 Falconer St. Jamestown, NY 14701 or by e-mail at janells@lutheran-jamestown.org. Please remember that not all questions can be answered in this format, but as many as can be, will be.