The pilot testing of user-friendly materials to help senior citizens sift through the complexities of the federal prescription drug plan options has gone so well that Cornell is now making them available through Cornell Cooperative Extension and other agencies statewide.

The new resource is called CURxED -- Cornell University Resource Education for Medicare Part D.

"With the CURxED educational program, we hope to help senior citizens and others untangle and understand the mysteries of Medicare Part D," says Robert D. Harris, a registered pharmacist who is a CCE support specialist and the Medicare Part D program project manager.

In New York state, seniors can choose from 61 plans offered by 25 different insurers this year. Costs vary greatly by plan and by drug; to evaluate overall cost effectiveness, beneficiaries must study a number of variables to determine the best coverage. Although online tools are available, most senior citizens never go online, says Harris.

The CURxED program, developed through a partnership between Cornell's Department of Policy Analysis and Management in the College of Human Ecology and CCE, includes workshops, computer instruction, printed case studies and research facts. Its easy-to-use binder set provides comparisons for drug costs, co-pays, deductibles and monthly premiums, among other information, across plans. A pamphlet, "The Pocket Guide to Part D," also is available.

The resources will be available to seniors through human service agencies in local communities -- offices for the aging, senior centers, CCE offices, mental health agencies, housing developments and public libraries. The annual enrollment period for Medicare Part D is Nov. 15-Dec. 31.

Most of these CURxED resources are also available online at http://medicarepartd.human.cornell.edu/about.html.

This summer, Cornell Cooperative Extension interns forged relationships with New York communities in areas from energy use and conservation to ways to reduce obesity and advancing Medicare Part D education.

Julie Lundgren, HumEc '09, for example, worked in Seneca and Delaware counties provide information about Medicare Part D. "By raising awareness of Medicare Part D's complexities, we hope to help optimize its benefits and efficiency throughout local communities," says Lundgren.

Working with Kosali Simon, assistant professor of policy analysis and management, and project director Robert Harris, Lundgren developed pamphlets and brochures, introduced CCE offices to Medicare Park D educational materials through presentations and workshops, researched databases to identify trends in Medicare prescription drug plan enrollment patterns and observed how counties serving various demographics differ from one another in population and method of service.

"I was primarily responsible for translating research for practical application in community education," says Lundgren.

"Julie's work was invaluable to me," says Harris. "With her support, I could focus on the administrative responsibilities of CURxED. She served as the eyes and ears to communities for the project, gaining an understanding of their current resources, defining their needs and bringing back to campus projects that she could develop and implement to meet those needs."

Jacqueline Dowdell is communications coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension.