There should never be a time when a lack of information is all that stands between us and getting the health care we need, but as Medicare enrollment season begins again this year, nearly five million Americans eligible for Medicare prescription drug benefits have not signed up.

In Georgia, nearly 15 percent of your friends and neighbors have not enrolled. That’s 174,000 who continue to make unnecessary choices about their health care at a time when the cost of food, energy and transportation has increased dramatically over the last year.

As the holiday season approaches, many of you will be asked by your friends and neighbors to donate to a local charity or volunteer at the local soup kitchen or food bank. This year, Georgia should know that we can each do something for the elderly and disabled in our community. No matter how much we have to give financially, help them sign up for the prescription drug benefits they need.

Medicare Today, a national coalition of more than 400 organizations representing seniors, patients, health-care groups and others, is reminding seniors to take advantage of the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 31. If you discover any family or friends are already enrolled, encourage them to take this opportunity to review their existing plans, compare alternatives and make sure they have selected the option that best suits their needs.

Our health needs change as we age, which means our prescription drug needs change, too. There is never a time when people who call Georgia home should have to choose between their prescription drugs and whether or not they can fill up their gas tank or heat their home.

> Mary Grealy is president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of hospitals, drug manufacturers and insurers.