By Jason Alderman

Senior citizens and others living on a fixed or low income know how difficult it is to make ends meet, especially when costs for essentials like health care, food and energy increase faster than their sources of income.

Here are a few cost-saving benefits available to people on fixed incomes – especially seniors:

Prescription Drug Assistance Programs.

Most pharmaceutical companies offer patient assistance programs (PAPs) that provide uninsured and low-income people access to prescription drugs they couldn't otherwise afford. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or health clinic for details. Other good resources include: Medicare's alphabetical list of drugs available through PAPs, with links to detailed eligibility information (www.medicare.gov/pap/index.asp); Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org); RxAssist (www.rxassist.org); and NeedyMeds (www.needymeds.com).

Other money-saving ideas for medical expenses include:

Tax advantages. The IRS tax code includes several benefits that target seniors (and often, other lower-income taxpayers), including:

Government programs. Many government-sponsored benefits, grants and financial aid programs exist to help seniors, low-income families and others pay their bills, including:

And of course, don't forget to ask about senior discounts whenever you shop, travel or buy insurance – 10 percent here and there can really add up.