Medicare Drug Plan Sign-Ups Continue 'on Track' in Texas: State's Number of Enrollees Looks Good, Says Administrator
Posted on: Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 12:00 CST
By Bob Moos, The Dallas Morning News
Jan. 25--About a quarter-million older Texans have signed up for Medicare's new prescription drug plans during the first two months of enrollment, the Kaiser Family Foundation said Tuesday.
Overall, 55 percent of Texas' 2.6 million Medicare beneficiaries now have some kind of drug coverage, the same proportion as the national average, according to the Washington foundation.
That drug coverage comes from many sources: Medicare managed-care plans, federal employee health benefits, the military's health care program or private company retiree plans.
"The numbers out of Texas look very good -- they mirror what's going on nationally," said Sandra Hall, who's overseeing Medicare's enrollment initiatives in the state.
Seniors have until May 15 to decide whether to join a Medicare-approved plan. Those who choose a plan after that will pay a penalty in the form of higher monthly premiums.
"We expect a lot of people -- especially those with low drug costs -- to wait until the last minute to decide," Ms. Hall said. "But from what we've seen so far, we're on track."
E-mail bmoos@dallasnews.com
WHO HAS DRUG COVERAGE?
IN TEXAS
Total Medicare beneficiaries: 2.6 million
Beneficiaries with some form of drug coverage: 1.4 million
Signed up for Medicare's new drug plans: 234,000
IN THE U.S.
Total Medicare beneficiaries: 43.4 million
Beneficiaries with some form of drug coverage: 23.8 million
Signed up for Medicare's new drug plans: 3.6 million
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation
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Source: The Dallas Morning News
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