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| Wilson’s Office To Help Seniors Over Weekend, Late Monday |
May 12, 2006 |
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Wilson Reminds Seniors of Sign-Up Date; Voluntary Program Continues to Grow
Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson will help seniors over the weekend and on Monday as the last-minute applications for prescription drug help come in. Wilson says seniors have until the end of Monday to apply for the program, and her office will be open until 9pm on Monday to take phone calls.
Seniors who need last minute help can call Wilson’s office at 505-346-6781 all day Monday until 9pm. Wilson also says her office will staff a Medicare Part D booth at the Air, Wind and Wheels Fair hosted by the Balloon Museum this weekend. The Fair, with family-friendly activities and fun, will be held at the Balloon Fiesta Park on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4pm. Wilson said that a Social Security representative will also be available on Saturday and Sunday to help seniors sign-up for the extra help available to those with lower incomes.
“If you want to sign up or have questions, there’s still time,” Wilson said. “We passed this law to help those who need it the most, because Congress recognized that medicine is expensive, particularly for those with lower or fixed incomes.”
Monday, May 15, 2006, marks the end of the first enrollment period for seniors wanting to participate this year without penalty. As of last month, 30 million people were enrolled nationally, and 89 percent of seniors in the First Congressional District had drug coverage – one of the highest sign-up rates in the nation.
“I’m so pleased that thousands of seniors in the First Congressional District now have help buying their medicines,” Wilson said. “There’s also extra help for those with limited incomes.”
Some seniors with limited income and resources can continue to sign up with no penalty.
Medicare covers most seniors and many disabled Americans. Anyone eligible for Medicare qualifies for the new prescription drug coverage, the first offered by Medicare in the history of the program. Enrollment began on November 15, 2005, and coverage began on January 1, 2006.
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