GOUVERNEUR -- Kinney Drugs is offering a tool to assist clients in choosing health coverage.

Their pharmacists can now provide patients with EZ Medicare PlanAdvisor, which the store says can “help them make informed decisions about their coverage.”

Kinney Drugs launched EZ Medicare PlanAdvisor “to help take the confusion out of comparing Medicare Part D plans during open enrollment, and throughout the year for newly eligible beneficiaries,” Kinney’s said in a news release.

It is a plan comparison tool that can generate a custom report specific to a patient’s prescriptions.

The report identifies specific plan options, along with projected out-of-pocket expenses including premiums, deductibles and copays, and the expected timing for the coverage gap.

EZ Medicare PlanAdvisor is a free service that is available to current and non-Kinney pharmacy customers.

The Medicare open enrollment season runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. During this time beneficiaries have the opportunity to reassess and make changes to their current plans to ensure they have the best coverage for the upcoming year. If no action is taken, Medicare beneficiaries will automatically be re-enrolled in their current plan, which could expose them to changes in benefits and premiums.

Nearly all Medicare Part D plans have some sort of change every year, from co-pays, deductibles, tiers, premiums and formularies. Kinney’s is encouraging all seniors on Medicare Part D to have their current plans reviewed to ensure the plan will still cover their prescription drugs for the next year, and at the best rate.