Sign-Up Deadline for Drug Plan is Monday: Officials Warn Seniors Not to Wait Until the Last Day to Enroll
Posted on: Saturday, 13 May 2006, 09:05 CDT
By Melissa McGrath, The Idaho Statesman, Boise
May 13--The deadline to sign up for a Medicare prescription-drug plan this year and avoid a penalty is just two days away. Officials are encouraging seniors not to wait until the last day.
More seniors have been calling volunteers across the state this week to get help signing up for a program, said Genii Hamilton, the supervisor for the state's Senior Health Benefit Advisors, or SHIBA.
"It's been crazy, absolutely crazy," Hamilton said.
A senior center in Twin Falls enrolled 45 people on just one day this week, she said.
Hamilton encourages seniors to call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 this weekend to enroll in a plan if they want coverage this year and want to avoid a financial penalty.
If you miss the deadline on Monday, the next enrollment period won't begin for another six months, and Medicare will tack on a 1 percent charge to your premium when you do sign up for every month you could have had drug coverage but went without.
For example, if you waited to sign up during the second enrollment period, your average premium of $37 would increase by $2.22, or 37 cents a month for the six months you went without drug coverage. That charge remains added on to your monthly premium for as long as you have coverage.
Hamilton doesn't want seniors to wait until Monday to sign up because she said she is worried the Medicare Web site could overload and the phone lines could get tied up, preventing people from being able to meet the deadline.
Regence BlueShield of Idaho said it is extending the hours at its Boise office, located at 1211 W. Myrtle, Suite 110, until to 7 p.m. on Monday to help seniors enroll in one of the drug plans it is offering. Blue Cross of Idaho's customer service line at 395-8200 is open until 8 p.m. if you have a True Blue Medicare Advantage plan.
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Source: The Idaho Statesman, Boise
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