NEW YORK, NY November 15, 2005 —Senior citizens today can begin registering for the vast new federal prescription drug program which starts in 2006. The city and various advocacy groups are helping Medicare and Medicaid enrollees get ready. WNYC's Fred Mogul has more.

REPORTER: Residents of New York can choose between 46 different drug plans. And while it's optional for those who already receive Medicare, it's not for those on both Medicare and Medicaid, the program for the poor. Medicaid's drug program for the elderly is ending, and recipients have to choose one of the new plans or risk being automatically assigned by a computer.

Betty Duggan of the Medicare Rights Center says it's difficult to figure out which plan makes the most sense, using the information provided by the government.

DUGGAN: It's complicated to use. It's not user-friendly. So that even member of our staff have been struggling getting answers for consumers.

REPORTER: At the center's national hotline in Times Square, call volume has quadrupled in recent days. The city has set up a network of 38 information stations at community groups around the five boroughs and has two walk-in centers in midtown and lower Manhattan.