Missed Opportunity: Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans

Missed Opportunity: Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans

Fail to Extend Medicare Deadline

With the deadline to enroll in the Medicare prescription drug program just days away, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today said the Bush administration and Congressional Republicans missed an opportunity to extend the May 15 deadline. Today the U.S. House voted on a resolution encouraging all eligible Medicare beneficiaries who have not yet enrolled in the new Medicare Part D benefit to do so.

"With just days left before Medicare beneficiaries enroll in the new prescription drug program or face permanent financial penalties, Congress should have taken a vote on something that would have truly helped these individuals - Congress should have voted to extend the Medicare enrollment deadline.

"Since enrollment in this program began, beneficiaries have been bombarded with misinformation. Even 1-800-Medicare, the hotline that is supposed to guide beneficiaries, was found to give out faulty information one-third of the time according to a study by the Government Accountability Office. And the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 55% of seniors do not even know that May 15 is the deadline for enrollment.

"Seniors and the disabled around the country are confused and they need more time to decide on which plan is right for their needs. And they should be given this additional time without penalty."

In Congress, DeLauro has cosponsored the Medicare Prescription Drug Flexibility for Seniors Act of 2005, H.R. 4410, legislation introduced by Congressman Larson that would extend the prescription drug plan enrollment deadline from May 15, 2006 to May 15, 2008.

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2006/May/medicare_deadline_5_11_06.html