Medicare Part D is a voluntary prescription drug benefit available to all people with Medicare. Already in Michigan, more than 70 percent of eligible people have signed up, with more than 30 million enrolled nationwide, Ehlers noted.

      “With the May 15 enrollment deadline quickly approaching, we must ensure all seniors have the opportunity to enroll and aren’t misled by baseless scare tactics,” said Ehlers, who added that low-income seniors could save upwards of $3,700 a year.

      A recent poll by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce should give seniors some extra encouragement. Ninety-one percent of surveyed seniors said their plan is convenient to use at their pharmacy, and 90 percent said they understood how their plan worked. Eighty-five percent said their plan covers all the medicines they need, and nearly 80 percent would recommend their plan to a friend.

      “With just a week to go, if you are Medicare-eligible, you should make a decision about whether to sign up by May 15” said Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids. “Even if you do not take a lot of prescription drugs now, you should join because as you age, you will likely need prescription drugs. Signing up for this Medicare coverage could protect you from very high prescription drug bills in the future.”

      Signing up takes just three simple steps. One: Get your prescriptions together. Two: Get your Medicare card. Three: Call 1-800-MEDICARE or go online at www.medicare.gov. Help is also available locally by calling the Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program at 1-800-803-7174. They will connect you with an organization in your community that can provide personalized advice about selecting a Medicare prescription drug plan.

      The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making available maximum customer service capacity through midnight on May 15. The www.medicare.gov website has also been enhanced to improve enrollment support. New features have been added to help users make a plan selection before May 15, and server capacity for the Web site has more than quadrupled to better accommodate an increased number of users.