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555 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Ph: 202.224.6342
Fax: 202.224.1100
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Raleigh Office:
310 New Bern Avenue
Suite 122
Raleigh, NC 27601
Ph: 919.856.4630
Toll Free: 866.420.6083
Fax: 919.856.4053
Salisbury Office:
225 North Main Street
Suite 304
Salisbury, NC 28144
Ph: 704.633.5011
Toll Free: 866.420.6084
Fax: 704.633.2937
Western Office:
401 North Main Street
Suite 200
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Ph: 828.698.3747
Fax: 828.698.1267
Eastern Office:
306 South Evans Street
Greenville, NC 27835
Ph: 252.329.1093
Fax: 252.329.1097
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Articles
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MEDICARE DRUG PLAN WORKS
N.C. seniors can benefit by signing up before the May 15 deadline
Author: Senator Elizabeth Dole
Publication: Charlotte Observer |
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May 3rd, 2006 - Over the past five months more than 29 million Americans, including more than 850,000 North Carolinians, have enrolled in the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and as a result are receiving more affordable access to life-saving medications. That number continues to grow as an average of 380,000 beneficiaries sign up each week for a comprehensive drug plan that will save them money and keep them healthier.
Seniors across the country are seeing that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is making a real difference in their lives and in their wallets. Today more than 70 percent of all eligible beneficiaries have joined the program and are enjoying significant savings. In fact, the typical senior who previously lacked drug coverage will spend about half of what he or she used to spend on prescription drugs—an average annual savings of $1,100.
While enrollment is ahead of schedule, it is important that those who have not yet chosen a plan take the time to learn more about the benefits offered through this valuable new program. I encourage all Medicare recipients to consider signing up before the May 15th deadline. Beneficiaries and family members with questions can call Medicare’s toll-free help line at 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov.
Health care decisions take time and careful consideration, but with help from Medicare staff and community volunteers, determining which prescription drug plan meets your specific needs is easier than you think. In fact, a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 74 percent of all seniors said they did not experience difficulties signing up for the new prescription drug coverage.
Once enrolled, most seniors have been very satisfied and say the effort they put into evaluating different drug plans was well worth the time. According to a recent poll, an overwhelming majority of seniors who have enrolled in the new drug benefit approve of the program and are happy with their coverage. What’s more, because plans are competing for customers, seniors are seeing significantly lower premiums than expected—an average 30 percent less than projected.
Unfortunately there are some who are trying to play politics and are criticizing a program that is helping millions of Americans. I am disappointed by this unconstructive rhetoric that discourages some seniors from taking advantage of an opportunity to receive more affordable access to vital drugs.
This cynical misinformation reminds me of my days as Secretary of Transportation when we proposed requiring air bags or other passive restraints in every car. At the time many people said it just couldn’t be done. Folks worried that the air bags would go off when crossing over railroad tracks, and some even claimed that air bags wouldn’t improve overall safety. Today the results could not be clearer, as more than 15,000 lives have been saved. Similarly, people across our great state are already seeing real benefits from the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and I would like to see even more North Carolinians receive assistance from this program.
As the May 15th enrollment deadline nears, I urge every North Carolinian who could benefit from the Medicare prescription drug program to get the necessary information and determine which option works best. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians and millions of Americans are better off thanks to the coverage provided by this landmark program – and there is no reason why every qualified individual should not benefit.
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