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| Seniors Better Off as Medicare Part D Enrollment Tops 38 Million |
May 18, 2006 |
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Nine in Ten Seniors Chose Coverage & Are Receiving Important Help with Prescriptions
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today joined Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and Dr. Mark McClellan, Medicare Administrator, at the U.S. Capitol to announce that 38 million seniors are participating in the voluntary Medicare prescription plan in its first year.
“We passed this law to help those who need it the most, and that’s exactly what this program does,” Wilson said. “We recognized that medicine is expensive, particularly for those with lower or fixed incomes.”
“In recent years, many seniors have struggled paying for medicine. Today, nine in ten seniors have help. That is a vast improvement,” Wilson said.
Monday, May 15, 2006, marked the end of the initial enrollment period for seniors wanting to participate this year without penalty. An estimated 38 million seniors are participating, and 90 percent of seniors now have prescription coverage. As of last month, New Mexico’s First Congressional District had one of the highest sign-up rates in the nation. The final tally for the First Congressional District is not yet available.
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.
Wilson has made helping seniors with the prescription drug program a priority for her office through mailed information, dozens of senior town halls, partnerships with other helping agencies and employers, Medicare fairs with providers and even telephone calls to constituents offering assistance.
Seniors in the First Congressional District who still have questions about signing up after the initial enrollment period are encouraged to call her office for help at 505-346-6781 or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
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