Seniors urged not to delay drug sign-up

With just six days left to enroll in Medicare's drug plan withoutpaying penalties, advocates are urging eligible seniors and disablednot to wait until the last possible minute.

"We're trying to get people to sign up before the weekend in casethere are computer glitches or phone lines are jammed up," said ConorLee of Medicare Today, a nonprofit group educating seniors on the newplans.

Medicare has added 6,000 customer service representatives to itsnational help line, (800) MEDICARE, and increased server capacity forWeb site enrollments at http://www.medicare.gov.

Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services, said phone wait times are now under three minutes.

"It is all hands on deck for assistance to beneficiaries," he toldreporters in a conference call Monday.

McClellan also urged insurers administering the plans to "beprepared for any enrollment surges and meet the needs ofbeneficiaries."

An enrollment surge is already happening this week asbeneficiaries race to meet the deadline of midnight Monday, saidJanet Van Deusen of the Health Insurance Counseling and AdvocacyProgram, an unbiased provider of information and individual help onthe drug benefit.

"The phone calls are picking up," she said.

Those who sign up this week may see delays inreceiving their newprescription drug card or enrollment letter -- both items necessaryto fill prescriptions at pharmacies, Van Deusen said.

"My advice would be to keep your confirmation number and to notexpect your card to arrive on time," she said.

Plans are required to accept enrollments via phone or Internet by11:59 p.m. local time Monday. Enrollments made via mail to insurersmust be postmarked by May 15.

Thousands of Bay Area seniors and disabled still have not signedup for the program, called Part D, which began Jan. 1. An estimatedhalf-million beneficiaries in California are sitting on thesidelines.

Those helping beneficiaries choose from the more than 50 plansavailable in the region say late-comers are selecting one of thelowest-cost drug plans just to get their foot in the door and avoidthe late penalty. The Humana Standard plan, which carries a monthlypremium of $5.41 has been a popular choice, said Lee and Van Deusen.

As of March 31, Humana had

176,500 members in California and had captured 18 percent of thetotal national market for stand-alone Medicare drug plans, a Humanaspokesman said.

Eligible Medicare beneficiaries who do not enroll by midnightMonday will face penalties of 1 percent per month of the totalpremium cost for every month they delay.

Because the next open enrollment period does not start until Nov.15, that means those who do not sign up by May 15 will pay at least 7percent more on premiums. With monthly premiums averaging about $32nationwide, those who delay until November will pay on average anextra $2 a month -- permanently -- for their Medicare drug coverage.

Some Democratic members of Congress, including Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, have introduced legislation that would extend the enrollmentperiod through the end of the year, but that bill has not gainedtraction.

A survey issued Tuesday by the Campaign for America's Futureindicated that 1 million Latinos nationwide had not yet enrolled in adrug plan, largely because of cultural, language or economicbarriers.

And only 21 percent of low-income seniors and disabled inCalifornia eligible for a government subsidy have enrolled in theMedicare drug program, according to a report by the national groupFamilies USA.

McClellan said extending the deadline would be unfair to those whohave already done their homework and signed up. He said seniors whodo not take prescription drugs should view the program as aninsurance policy similar to car insurance.

"By encouraging everyone to enroll, including the healthy, we cankeep costs down for everyone," McClellan said.

The message is to take the time this week to explore your options,either by attending one of the final enrollment events in the area orcalling Medicare or an independent counselor. Some independentcounselors, such as HICAP, however, won't be open over the weekend.

"We're telling people to get out there as soon as possible," Leesaid. "It's better to assume the worst will happen and not wait untilthis next weekend or Monday."

Contact Rebecca Vesely at

rvesely@angnewspapers.com.