Democratic candidate for insurance commissioner Jasper Schneider renewed his attack on Republican opponent Adam Hamm on Tuesday.

He had accused Hamm of using taxpayer money to run public service advertisements, which he says are political commercials.

The ads in question feature Hamm talking about free counseling services available through the State Health Insurance Commission to help people afford medications and Medicare prescription drug premiums.

Jaime Selzler, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic Party, said the content and timing of the ads make them more political than public service, and want Hamm's campaign to reimburse the state for the roughly $35,000 cost to produce and air the ads.

"The issue is that Adam Hamm is using taxpayer money to put himself on TV 100 days before an election," said Selzler.

Selzler said Schneider's campaign would be seeking equal airtime on TV in response.

Hamm told the Tribune that the ads were planned in advance, and outlined in the application for $100,000 in grant money from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The application, approved by the CMS, was filed on March 20.

The ads are for the Prescription Connection Program through the State Health Insurance Commission. The program helps Medicare recipients find lower prices on drugs and lower coverage premiums.

While Selzler argued the timing of the ads was politically motivated, Hamm said the advertisements are running in July and August because many seniors who receive Medicare prescription drug benefits hit their annual aid limit in August and September, leaving them to pick up the bill for the last four months of the year.

Hamm said the ads are intended to let seniors know that there is help available, even for those who have reached this coverage gap, the so-called "doughnut hole."

Selzler said only 2 percent of Medicare recipients hit the coverage gap between July and September and said the money could have been better spent on the actual counseling, rather than the advertising.

The ads began running on July 21. After the first week of ads, Hamm said his office had processed 192 applications from 33 people, whereas in an average week, they process between 50 and 80 applications from 10 people, Hamm said.

Selzler said the cost of the ads does not measure up to the increase in applications from 20 to 30 people.

Individuals must submit one application for each prescription.

Applications during the first week of the ads ran outpaced the entire month of July 2007, as Hamm said his office processed 125 applications from 31 people that month.

"This is the time when people are hitting that doughnut hole and looking for help," he said, adding that the numbers of applications are indicative of the advertisement's success.

"Our numbers clearly show, we're getting a spike (in people hitting the coverage gap) in August and September." He said.