Rep. Davis Calls on President to Support Medicare Rx Deadline Extension

 

TAMPA – Today, Congressman Jim Davis is calling on President George W. Bush to support extending the Medicare prescription drug program’s enrollment deadline and give seniors and the disabled the time they need to choose a drug plan that is right for them. 

 

The President is visiting Sun City Center today to encourage seniors to sign up for Medicare Part D, but with the May 15 deadline for enrollment looming, many seniors are still trying to make sense of baffling drug plan literature and figure out which plans will cover their medications.  Unfortunately, if these beneficiaries fail to enroll by May 15, they will face a significant financial penalty.

 

“Medicare Part D has been one headache after another for seniors since it was introduced this January,” said Congressman Davis.  “The program’s information “help lines” were severely understaffed and in some instances were distributing incorrect information.  Meanwhile, many low-income beneficiaries were being turned away when they attempted to fill their prescriptions.”

 

“Seniors with limited incomes and high drug costs have no room for error when choosing a drug plan.  With all the problems that Medicare Part D has encountered over the last few months, who can blame seniors for wanting more time to go over the details before they make their choice?”

 

“I voted against the bill that created Medicare Part D, because the plan puts the interests of private insurers before the interests of America 's Medicare recipients.  But now that it is law, the President and Congress have a responsibility to make sure the program is working for America ’s seniors, and the first step is to extend the deadline that is forcing seniors to make hasty enrollment decisions.”

 

Congressman Davis is a cosponsor of the Medicare Informed Choice Act, the House version of Senator Bill Nelson’s legislation to delay late enrollment penalties and to allow every beneficiary to change plans once during their first year of enrollment.  However, without the Administration’s support, Senator Nelson’s proposal recently failed in the Senate by a vote of 49-49.