Governor Asks President Bush to Extend Medicare Enrollment Deadline

The new prescription drug benefit is the largest revamping of Medicare in the program's 40 year history.

(SALEM) - Governor Ted Kulongoski has sent a letter to President Bush asking him to extend the deadline for seniors to apply for the new Medicare drug plan.

Citing the confusing nature of the plans, as well as the fact that the federal government has not been able to provide accurate advice for many of the seniors who have sought help, Governor Kulongoski said that the deadline should be extended to January 2007.

`As of today, nearly 30 percent of eligible Oregoniansâ€”about 160,000 individualsâ€”have yet to make a decision about enrolling in the program," said Governor Kulongoski. `Under the current law, that indecision could cost them dearly."

Though hundreds of volunteers have been activated to help seniors choose the most appropriate plan, the system is extraordinarily complex and many seniors may be receiving substandard coverage or paying too much money for their prescription drugs.

The Government Accounting Office recently reported that 60% of the seniors who sought help from the federal government through their (800) MEDICARE hotline received erroneous advice from the federal government.

`As they navigate the multiple prescription drug plan options, Medicare enrollees are entitled to the best, most accurate information to inform their decision.

It is unconscionable to impose a lifetime penalty for late enrollment in this complicated program," said Governor Kulongoski.

Oregonians have been reporting challenges with the new Medicare drug benefit since it took effect in January, due to the extraordinarily complex and confusing nature of the 77 drug plan choices being offered in Oregon.

Earlier this year, several thousand low-income Oregonians were denied prescription drugs due to computer problems at the federal level and with the drug plans themselves.

Governor Kulongoski stepped in and said that the state would cover costs for those low-income Oregonians who could not get their prescriptions filled as a result of program glitches in the new Medicare program.

Governor Kulongoski praised the many volunteers who have worked to make the new Medicare program more understandable to seniors and their families throughout Oregon, as well as the thousands of pharmacists who have done the same.

`Because of our volunteers and pharmacists, Oregon has more enrollees in the new Medicare drug plans than any other states in the region," said Governor Kulongoski.

`Many Oregon seniors and people with disabilities who before now had no drug coverage, now have it. Unfortunately, though, the challenges with the new Medicare program continue � we need to extend the deadline so that Oregon`s seniors won`t be unduly penalized."

I urge you and the Congress to immediately extend next Monday`s deadline for enrolling in a Medicare drug plan without the risk of penalty.

The new prescription drug program, launched just five months ago, represents the largest expansion of Medicare in the program`s 40-year history. As of today, nearly 30 percent of eligible Oregoniansâ€”about 160,000 individualsâ€”have yet to make a decision about enrolling in the program. Under the current law, that indecision could cost them dearly.

State and local government offices, together with hundreds of volunteers through Oregon`s Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance Program (SHIBA), have dedicated themselves these past months to helping Medicare-eligible individuals and their families get the facts, consider their options, and make an informed choice. Unfortunately, the recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms what older Oregonians and Oregonians with disabilities have reported to our state and local offices for the past several months: the new drug benefit is complex and confusing. GAO reports that 60 percent of those seniors who have called the federal 1-800-MEDICARE hotline for advice have received the wrong answer about the drug plan that suits them best and costs the least. In other words, those people may have enrolled in inadequate drug coverage, and they may now pay too much for their medications. That fact alone is reason enough to allow Medicare-eligible individuals more time to reconsider their decisions and seek additional advice about their enrollment options.

As they navigate the multiple prescription drug plan options (all with different premiums, co-pays, preferred drug lists, etc.), Medicare enrollees are entitled to the best, most accurate information to inform their decision. It is unconscionable to impose a lifetime penalty for late enrollment in this complicated program.

On behalf of the 540,000 Medicare-eligible Oregoniansâ€”especially the 140,000 who face lifetime penalties just because they need more time to make an enrollment decisionâ€”I urge you to extend the deadline for enrollment for all Medicare-eligible individuals until January 2007.