May 15, 2006 is the final day to enroll in Medicare’s Prescription Drug Coverage, also known as Medicare Part D. If you do not enroll by this date, the next enrollment period does not begin until November 15, 2006 and your drug coverage would not begin until January 1, 2007. If you fail to enroll by May 15th, your premium cost will go up at least 1% per month for every month that you wait to join.

To learn how to enroll in a program of your choosing, I encourage you to contact the North Carolina Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP), operated by the NC Department of Insurance. You can reach SHIIP by clicking here or calling 1-800-443-9354.

I have been calling for an extension of the enrollment deadline for months, but if the Republican leadership fails to see the importance of giving seniors some breathing room, I hope we can minimize the number of Triangle seniors that face a penalty for late enrollment. That is why I am encouraging all seniors who choose to enroll in Medicare Part D to do so before the May 15th deadline.

To learn more about the ways I believe we can improve the Medicare drug program, please visit http://price.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Legislation%20Fix%20Flaws%20revised%204.06.doc