Medicare does not cover the cost of prescription medicines, which you may already know. Hairston noted that there was a time when Medicare supplemental policies, in particular the HMO policies, did cover prescriptions -- sometimes with a cap on how much could be spent each year, sometimes with a given amount for co-pay, and sometimes with options for using generic medications.

Now that prescription drug expenditures are the primary reason for increased medical care costs in the United States (increasing at twice the rate of inflation), most insurance companies have placed limits on coverage. While Congress works out its prescription coverage programs, many senior citizens and their caregivers struggle to find money to pay for drugs. Some help is available now.

-- Many seniors struggling to pay for these medications don't meet traditional low-income guidelines to qualify for government assistance programs. Many pharmaceutical companies provide medications at no-cost to seniors, families and individuals who are below the poverty line. The easiest way to review programs that individual drug companies offer is to visit www.needymeds.com. This site will assist you in determining if you qualify. However, if you take a lot of prescription medications, you may face a daunting task -- applying to each pharmaceutical company's low-income program separately.

-- Many seniors are unaware that pharmacies accepting state-funded medical clients (in California it's called "Medi-Cal" and part of the state welfare program) are required to charge that same low rate for prescriptions to anyone who is on Medicare. To find out if your state has a similar policy, contact its Department of Health Services. If it does and you are on Medicare (and even if you are not on a government assistance program like Medi-Cal), make sure your medications are being filled by an approved pharmacy and then check to see that you are getting the lower rate.

-- The new drug savings card called "Together RX" -- created by a group of pharmaceutical companies -- is now available. It offers a 20 to 40 percent discount on the cost of medications. See www.togetherrx.com.

-- The Medicine Program (www.themedicineprogram.com) helps people find assistance in obtaining medications, as does the Directory of Prescription Drug Assistance Programs,www.phrma.org.

-- AARP has a mail-order prescription program that gives discounts on medications. See www.aarppharmacy.com.

-- Many people are talking about the "Canadian connection," whereby people can save money on medications by importing them from Canada. Online Canadian pharmacies include www.canadameds.com, www.realfastdrugstore.com and www.thecanadiandrugstore.com.

-- The Kaiser Family Foundation has a summary of prescription drug programs at their Web site www.kff.org.

-- Costco's pharmacy offers some of the lowest prices on medication, and Costco membership is not required. Visit www.costco.com and click on Pharmacy to learn more.

-- People who qualify for veteran's benefits can get lower-cost prescriptions through the Veterans Benefits and Services site (https://www.va.gov/health_benefits/).