JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Officials overseeing Missouri's prescription drug program for senior citizens are revamping their promotional efforts after two years of lower-than-expected participation rates.

The Missouri SenioRx Program was projected by a professional actuary to attract as many as 55,000 seniors for its July 2002 debut.

Instead, the program had about 21,900 participants in its first year.

Now in its second year, the program had 19,021 enrollees as of Thursday, said its executive director, Laurie Hines.

That's part of the reason why officials at the Department of Health and Senior Services are developing a new promotional tactic.

Last year, the program spent about $150,000 of its $263,523 outreach budget on radio, television and newspaper advertisements. This year, the program has bought no broadcast ads and a reduced amount of print ads with its similarly reduced $215,000 outreach budget, Hines said.

"We're taking a different approach, we're going to be on the ground with lots of grass-roots partners who know their communities," Hines said.

For example, government employees and volunteers plan to be on hand at county health clinics to explain the prescription drug program to seniors receiving flu shots this fall and winter.

They also plan to work more through neighborhood groups and health care centers that treat a lot of low-income patients.

The changes even include a new look to the program's application form. Among other things, it no longer will printed in color but only in black and white and with larger letters -- changes that Hines said should make it easier for seniors to read.

Participants in the prescription drug program are an average age of 78, and most are women, Hines said.

The SenioRx Program provides prescription drug coverage for Missourians 65 and over who are too wealthy to qualify for the government-run Medicaid program but too poor to afford private prescription coverage.

Seniors must sign up annually. Participants pay an enrollment fee of $25 or $35, depending on their household incomes. Then after they meet a deductible, the state picks up 60 percent of their ensuing prescription drug costs.

Except for seniors turning age 65 during the year, everyone else must apply during a January-February enrollment period for coverage starting the coming July.

So it won't be until next spring until state officials can measure the results of their new marketing approach.

"The goal is to cover as many eligible seniors as are interested in having the state help pay for their prescription drugs," Hines said.

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On the Net:

SenioRx Program: http://www.missouriseniorx.com/