Want to fill a meeting hall? Hold a gathering on the new Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

Seniors and others trying to figure out the complicated benefit system packed the Torrance Salvation Army auditorium Friday afternoon, wondering which path to take.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu, the Torrance Democrat elected in September, organized the meeting in response to the numerous questions his office has been getting.

"The very first calls I got in my office were about Medicare Part D. And those calls continue today," Lieu said.

Problems with the program's rocky Jan. 1 startup have received a lot of attention. Because of miscommunications, errors and inadequate databases, beneficiaries in the low-income segment of the plan had at least a 1 in 5 chance of encountering a snafu when they went to the pharmacy.

Aside from the mistakes encountered so far is the fact that just choosing a Medicare Part D plan is a daunting and complicated process.

For example: Medicare beneficiaries have only until May 15 to choose a plan or face higher charges later as the late fees mount. Well, they face late fees if they aren't already on a plan that is at least as good as the minimum standards that the feds have set for the new private Medicare Part D plans. And they have until May 15 unless Congress acts to extend the deadline, which has been proposed.

And there are a lot of choices. Plans range from $5 to $66 a month, and run the gamut of deductibles and coverage maximums. Certain drugs covered in one plan are not covered in another. And then there's Medicare Advantage.

"To me, it's like playing roulette for a lot of these folks," Lieu said.

Joining Lieu at the Torrance forum were volunteers with the nonprofit Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education. The coalition has set up a Web site that, with the right information put in, can help beneficiaries pick the plan that will save them the most money.

The Internet is well-suited to cross-referencing and sorting through the ins and outs of a complex system like Part D.

The Internet is also something that many Medicare beneficiaries aren't familiar with. Only a handful of people raised their hands when the moderator Friday asked how many people were computer savvy. Only a few more had children or relatives who could help them use the Internet.

After the presentation, the coalition had computers and volunteers for one-on-one sessions, navigating the coalition's Web site for any beneficiary who sought help.

Some of the attendees were Web-savvy and have been doing their homework. But recent confusion and uproar over the plan has them watching and waiting, to see if the waters are calm before they jump in.

"I think it will settle down," said Harry Fernald, 74, of Torrance.

He's checked out some plans online and, although he hasn't signed up yet, he said he will by the deadline.

Some of the attendees just wished that a program for seniors and the disabled could have been designed with its target audience in mind.

"Nobody tells you what to do," said Tamara Schnabel, 49, of Torrance, who has multiple sclerosis and Medicare, and is unsure what if anything she should be signing up for. "I just want it to be a little more open."

Officials with the Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education point out that despite its difficulties, the program has its upside.

"Most of the seniors are saving money if they pick the right plan," said David Pauker, the coalition's executive director.