News Release

Time Is Running Out - May 15th Enrollment Deadline Nears

Medicare and its partners will be holding more than 1,000 enrollment events all over the country this week, to help people with Medicare enroll in a prescription drug plan before the May 15th deadline. In addition to the availability of thousands more volunteers at State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) and many other advocacy and support organizations for seniors and people with a disability, Medicare will have 6,000 customer service representatives and enhanced online support will be available.

"With just a week to go, we are intensifying our local outreach efforts to get more seniors signed up before the May 15th deadline, and taking every measure possible to ensure that everyone who wants to join a Medicare drug plan can do so," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "Signing up is as easy as 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."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is making available maximum customer service capacity through midnight. The www.medicare.gov Web site has also been enhanced to improve enrollment support. New features have been added to help users make a plan selection before May 15th, and server capacity for the Web site has more than quadrupled to better accommodate an increased number of users. Local SHIPs are increasing their staffing levels, and many will stay open until midnight on May 15th to help people enroll. Thousands of volunteers affiliated with other support organizations are also assisting in enrollment between now and May 15th.

"Time is running out, and maximum support is available right now if you have questions. Sign up now and avoid any last minute surge," said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "Millions of people have already signed up, they are saving money today, and they have peace of mind for tomorrow. To get help, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE, go online and enroll at www.medicare.gov or attend one of the many sign-up events in your community. If you don't need many drugs now, you can get the lowest cost protection for the future by enrolling now."

Medicare and tens of thousands of partners will continue to sponsor hundreds of local enrollment events across the country until the May 15th deadline. Print ads will appear in a number of major local newspapers and USA Today, and radio ads featuring Bill Cosby will get prominent airplay. New public service advertisements have been produced, one featuring First Lady Laura Bush. The Medicare Mobile Enrollment Center buses will be completing their final runs crisscrossing the country this coming week.

Medicare drug plans are also preparing for a possible last-minute surge in enrollment requests. "We have directed plans to prepare for possible increases in enrollment volume, and they must accommodate all beneficiaries who seek to enroll through midnight of May 15th local time," said Dr. McClellan. "Over 200,000 beneficiaries are contacting us every day at 1-800-MEDICARE, , and we’ve responded by making available maximum help to keep wait times under about three minutes on average and we expect the drug plans to meet those same goals."

People with Medicare can join a Medicare drug plan through the mail, phone or Web now through May 15, 2006. All completed applications postmarked on May 15th must be processed. The initial open enrollment period for Medicare prescription drug coverage ends at midnight local time on May 15th.

By late April, over 30 million Medicare beneficiaries were getting Medicare-related prescription drug coverage. Almost 6 million Medicare beneficiaries have creditable coverage from other sources, including the Veterans Administration and current employers for beneficiaries who are still working. Tens of thousands of beneficiaries are continuing to enroll online, by phone, and through drug plans daily.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last revised: January 20, 2009