Dear Judy: I read your article in the paper and have a couple of questions. Do you have a phone number where I may call and discuss the Medicare prescription coverages/options available to my mother. My mother is 72 and she has a Medicare supplement without any prescription drug coverage. She pays approximately $150 a month for her prescriptions. I feel that we are not taking advantage of this Medicare benefit. I thank you very much for writing this article and for any help you can provide me.

Answer: Since your mother does not have prescription drug coverage through her Medicare supplemental insurance plan, she can sign up for any of the plans that are available.

You state that your mother pays about $150 each month for prescriptions, so she would definitely benefit from signing up for Medicare prescription drug coverage. You should go to www.medicare.gov to get information about the prescription drug coverage.

You should also call Medicare's help line at 1-800-633-4227 to make sure that your mother is eligible for the drug coverage.

Dear Judy: What is the "Part B" Medicare monthly premium for 2008? I hope you do not mind repeating it if you have already written about it.

Answer: The Part B monthly premium will be $96.40 in 2008, an increase of $2.90, or 3.1 percent, from the $93.50 Part B premium for 2007. The 2008 amount is the smallest percentage increase in the Part B premium since 2000.

The Medicare Part B premium amounts for 2008 are determined by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The premiums paid by beneficiaries who have Medicare Part B cover physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and other medical items.

Most beneficiaries will continue to pay the standard premium. Beginning in 2007, a small number of beneficiaries with higher incomes, those individuals with income exceeding $80,000 and married couples with income exceeding $160,000, began paying a higher Part B premium based on their income. For 2008, this amount will be increased to $82,000 for an individual or $164,000 for a married couple.

Send your question to judybenge@bellsouth.net.