Kanjorski Reminds Constituents of Looming May 15 Medicare Part D Enrollment Deadline Cosponsors Bill to Extend Deadline to Dec. 31 WASHINGTON - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today reminded his constituents that the deadline to sign up for the Medicare prescription drug coverage is quickly approaching on May 15. Congressman Kanjorski is a cosponsor of H.R. 3861, The Medicare Informed Choice Act, which would extend the open enrollment period to Dec. 31 and delay any penalties for missing the deadline until 2007. This bill also allows beneficiaries to change drug plans if they find a plan that better suits their needs. Under the current law, beneficiaries who miss the May 15 deadline face a significant increase in their monthly premiums of 1 percent for every month that they wait to enroll. Furthermore, the next enrollment opportunity will not occur again until Nov. 15, 2006, for coverage that begins in January 2007. That means that a person who misses the May 15 deadline automatically faces a 7 percent increase in their monthly premium for the rest of their lives if they sign up in November. "It is alarming that with a only a little over a week left to sign up for Medicare Part D coverage, nearly half of all eligible beneficiaries do not know that the deadline is May 15 and seven million eligible beneficiaries have not yet signed up for coverage. It is critical that Congress alleviate this burden unfairly placed on our country's seniors and disabled Medicare recipients; that is why I am cosponsoring a bill that would give beneficiaries more time to make an informed choice about their prescription drug coverage," Congressman Kanjorski said. "The decision about what program to choose is confusing. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 21 different health insurance companies offering coverage. The plans are complicated, so I urge those eligible to talk to members of their family, Medicare experts, and other health care counselors for advice." Congressman Kanjorski voted against the Medicare Prescription Drug bill in 2003. Since creation of the Medicare prescription drug program was first proposed, Congressman Kanjorski has always supported establishing a program that is affordable, easy to administer, nationally available and comprehensive. All of the plans offered under Medicare Part D vary in terms of premiums and deductibles, co-payments, what drugs are covered, and where prescriptions can be filled. Before deciding what plan to choose, there are several issues that beneficiaries should consider: what your current coverage is; what drugs you take; what each drug costs on a monthly basis; and what your annual income and other assets are. Congressman Kanjorski recommends that beneficiaries who are having trouble choosing a plan call APPRISE, the free health care counseling program that helps older Pennsylvanians. The toll-free APPRISE helpline is 800-783-7067. Congressman Kanjorski's newsletter on Medicare Part D is also available as an informational resource. It can be obtained online at http://kanjorski.house.gov/ or at Congressman Kanjorski's Scranton and Wilkes-Barre offices. To request a copy of the newsletter in the mail, please call 570-496-1011 or 570-825-2200.
Other helpful numbers: 877-267-2323 ; TTY: 866-226-1819 Medicare: 800-633-4227 APPRISE: 800-783-7067 PACE: 800-225-7223 or 717-787-7313 Pennsylvania Department of Aging: 717-783-1550 Carbon County Area Agency on Aging: 800-441-1315 Columbia County Area Agency on Aging: 800-598-5001 Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging: 570-963-6740 Luzerne County Area Agency on Aging: 570-822-1158 Monroe County Area Agency on Aging: 800-498-0330
|
|||