Drug Plan Inquiries Kept Social Service Office Busy Monday

Tens of thousands of procrastinating seniors kept Medicare’s operators busy Monday during the final hours of enrollment for the government’s new drug benefit. Locally, the Social Services office – the hub of activity for Newtown residents seeking information or enrollment assistance on the plan –also experienced a steady, if not brisk stream of traffic the entire day.

According to Ann Piccini, Social Services Director, her office handled a dozen last-minute clients coming in needing assistance to get set up with the program. Ms Piccini said she and Case Manager JoAnne Klopfenstein were sitting down with residents throughout the day qualifying and registering them to the federal drug savings plan on their office computer system.

“It was good that most of these people came in when they did,” Ms Piccini said. “Once I saw what people’s incomes looked like, I was able to help most of the people with additional assistance including (the state drug benefit program) ConnPACE, and the QMB, which pays back the $88.50 that is taken out of Social Security checks to pay for the Medicare Part-B deductible.”

Ms Piccini said at four o’clock, people were still walking in, not knowing specifics of the coverage they already had.

“One couple came in telling us all they knew was when they go to the drugstore they pay a $10 co-pay to get generic and $30 for name brand,” she said.

Ms Piccini said she was able to successfully enroll every resident who came in seeking help Monday, and remained critical of the May 15 deadline after which seniors were told they would pay a financial penalty for late enrollment.

“I think they should waive the penalty for the rest of the calendar year,” she said, siding with critics nationally who complained that the latest, best information on the plan, as well as the system for enrollment, were not up to speed for weeks or months after the program was launched in January.

In Connecticut, the situation was exacerbated because the component ConnPACE program was not integrating with the federal benefit plan as it was supposed to do.

“If residents qualified and applied for ConnPACE they were required to sign up for the federal plan,” Ms Piccini said. But the computer information to determine ConnPACE participant verification still was not accurately reflecting current enroll information as of this week going back to several applications she processed herself going back to March.

“ConnPACE is busy to begin with, but the addition of this federal program has probably added a significant burden to keep things up to date,” she said.

First lady Laura Bush and top administration officials attended an afternoon registration drive at a Washington area church, while critics of the program met at a pharmacy near the Capitol and urged the administration to extend the midnight deadline and waive a financial penalty for late enrollees.

At the Shiloh Baptist Church, Mrs Bush met volunteers and some last-minute enrollees. She told people with little need for medicine now to still consider signing up for a private insurance plan, warning, “As you age, it’s likely you’ll add medications to your health care.”

Mark McClellan, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said about 40,000 to 50,000 people were on the agency’s Web site - www.medicare.gov - at any given moment Monday. Operators at 1-800-Medicare were also experiencing a rush of calls, and most callers were having to wait a few minutes to reach an operator.

“We’ve seen a real surge,” Mr McClellan said. “The deadline is making a difference.”

Democratic lawmakers seized on comments from a leading Republican lawmaker, Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut, who said she would introduce legislation to help people who miss the deadline. She said she would try to eliminate the penalty that comes with late enrollment later this year. (See related story)

Based on the original criteria of the federal plan, for each month of delay, a beneficiary would have to pay an additional one percent of the national average premium. So, a person who waits seven months will pay seven percent of the national average premium - or about an extra $2.50 per month.

While the enrollment deadline was midnight Monday, May 15, the agency was leaving some margin for error. For example, operators were taking calls until midnight on the West Coast, which was 3 am on the East Coast. McClellan also said that people who could not reach an operator but left a message would be contacted in coming days and given a chance to enroll.

Overall, there are about 43 million Medicare beneficiaries. The Bush administration estimates that about 37 million now have drug coverage either through Medicare, their employer or through other government programs.

That leaves about 6 million people without drug coverage, but Democrats said they believe the number is closer to 9 million. The administration also notes that of the 6 million people they believe are still without coverage, about half will qualify for extra help in paying for their medicine.

They are exempt from the enrollment deadline and penalty once they qualify for the extra subsidy. Under the program, beneficiaries sign up with a private plan operating in their state.

Most beneficiaries have dozens of plans to choose from. The government subsidizes that drug coverage, and officials estimate that the average beneficiary will save about $1,100, though some may not save any money. ­– Associated Press Information was used in this report.