25 days left to join drug-benefit plan

120,000 Colo. seniors have not enrolled in Medicare program

Rachel Brand, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 21, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More Health Care

Just over 405,000 Colorado seniors are enrolled in the new Medicare drug benefit, with 25 days left before the enrollment deadline, officials said Thursday.

That's up 7 percent since a month ago, but 120,000 elderly and disabled Coloradans remain without drug coverage. They must enroll in the government's plan before May 15 or face a financial penalty if they enroll later.

"I've seen on my travels, and in many recent polls, that seniors are saving at least half on their medicines, and hundreds of dollars if they switch to generics," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt of the drug benefit.

The government and community groups are planning 5,500 drug benefit promotional events across the nation in the next 25 days.

Nationally, 28 million to 30 million people have drug coverage under Medicare, and another 6 million are receiving some kind of drug benefit through the Veterans Affairs administration or the Indian Health Service.

That leaves 6 million to 7 million people without coverage.

The White House has repeatedly said it wants to enroll as many people as possible. At the same time, the Bush administration has rejected demands to extend the May 15 deadline, saying it would lead to fewer enrollees.

"Our independent actuary says that close to 2 million people fewer would sign up by May if the deadline was eliminated," said Dr. Mark McClellan, the top administrator for Medicare.

The remaining millions who haven't enrolled belong to two groups, administrators say: the poor and those with no illnesses who don't need medicines.

"Close to half (of those who haven't enrolled) are people who are likely eligible for the low-income subsidy," Leavitt said. "That's a very hard population to reach."

That lends some credence to allegations the White House is sugar- coating the numbers.

At the end of March, only 1.6 million of 5.7 million eligible Americans had been approved for the low-income subsidy, a benefit that pays all the costs and copays of the program.

In Colorado, only 19,900 of an estimated 69,000 eligible low-income seniors had signed up.

That shows the program isn't reaching people who need it most, according to the Medicare Rights Center.

"This should not be a political war of spin. It is about basic human need - health and survival," said Robert Hayes, president of the nonprofit Medicare Rights Center.

This month, the Health and Human Services Department announced that those who qualify for the low-income subsidy would be allowed to enroll in plans after the May 15 deadline.

But it said the law creating the drug benefit would not allow the administration to extend the deadline for everyone eligible.

Leavitt urged those who haven't signed up to gather their prescriptions, have their Medicare card available and call 1-800-Medicare (1-800- 633-4227) or go online at www.medicare.gov.

He said wait times are two minutes or less, and within 30 minutes counselors would be able to advise callers on an appropriate plan.

Medicare drug benefit enrollment

Covered Have not enrolled

• Nationally About 36 million 6 million to 7 million

• In Colorado 405,000 120,000

brandr@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5269

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News