If you have a Medigap insurance plan as a supplement to Medicare health insurance coverage, you could save up to 41% of your annual cost by carefully shopping around. Secretary of Consumer Affairs Priscilla H. Douglas has just released a shoppers guide with a detailed price survey for consumers.

For a full year now, all so-called Medigap plans, which pick up expenses where Medicare leaves off, are required to provide a uniform set of benefits. "Many seniors may not realize tha they can get the same benefits at a lower price by switching to a different company with the same type of indemnity coverage," said Douglas.

Those seniors who are willing to switch to an HMO stand to save considerably if they don't mind possible restrictions on doctors or hospitals available to them through the HMO. Seniors should review their options before they select a program or switch their current one, though. Can I keep my current doctor? Can I use the same pharmacy? What about mail order prescriptions, can I get them, must I use mail order drug companies? These are just some of the questions to ponder.

Those seniors who spend several months in Florida should probably not switch to an HMO because routine treatment isn't covered while out-of-state. But an HMO could cost you as little as $39 per month if it meets your needs.

To obtain the new shoppers guide and a full list of 1996 Medigap and Medicare HMO plans and prices, call the state Division of Insurance at 521-7777.

Note: Copies of the helpful booklet, Car Smart, talked about in last month's Newslines, are still available at the Senior Center or by calling Consumers' Council at 349-6150.

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