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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cutoff near for Part D signup


 Tom Moore, left, talks with John Boraas,  both of Coeur d'Alene, at Lake City Senior Center on Monday.   Boraas volunteered to help Moore and  other seniors sign up for Medicare Part D. 
 (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)
By Kevin Graman and JoNel Aleccia The Spokesman-Review

Nearly a third of Inland Northwest residents eligible for the federal government’s new prescription drug plan still haven’t signed up, and Tom Moore knows why.

Confusion, frustration and denial continue to plague seniors who must choose a Medicare Part D plan by next Monday – or face increased premiums in the future.

“I’m a college graduate and I was confused as hell,” said Moore, the 66-year-old director of the Lake City Senior Center in Coeur d’Alene. “About halfway through, my brain said I’m not listening to any more of this.”

But with persistence – and a little help from a trained volunteer – Moore was able to decipher a range of drug options to treat the aftermath of open-heart surgery and other ailments. And he saved $4,000 in annual prescription costs in the process.

He’s the first to encourage people who haven’t yet signed up for a drug plan to do so, as much for peace of mind as for avoiding penalties. Those who don’t meet the May 15 deadline will face a 1 percent increase in their premiums for each month that they delay. Those who miss the Monday cutoff can’t sign up again until November.

“Anybody who hasn’t done it by now is just a malingerer,” said Moore, who has arranged clinics that have helped more than 200 North Idaho residents sign up since last November.

Some members of Congress have asked for an extension of the deadline, but on Monday, Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, reaffirmed his opposition to that move.

“It is clear that the deadline is helping people to go ahead and act,” McClellan said.

In Washington and Idaho, about two-thirds of those eligible to sign up for a Medicare Part D program have done so, officials said Monday. Of about 829,000 eligible beneficiaries in Washington state, about 548,000 had signed up for the drug coverage by April 18, said Michael Marchand, director of public affairs for Region 10 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In Spokane County, about 44,000 had enrolled for the drug coverage out of about 66,000 who are eligible.

In Idaho, about 121,600 people had signed up, of about 194,000 eligible. In the state’s 10 northern counties, about 34,320 of the 52,000 people eligible were taken care of, said Penny Wilhelm, regional coordinator of the state’s Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program.

“It’s better than a poke in the eye,” said Wilhelm, whose phones have continued to be jammed with people needing help. “Most of them have either done the research or they’re absolutely desperate at this time.”

Still, the proportion of people enrolling in the program has increased rapidly. Marchand said there was an 11 percent increase in enrollments in Washington between March and April, and the rate is expected to be even higher this month. In Idaho, enrollment has jumped by nearly 28 percent since February, he added.

Local and federal officials are bolstering resources to help meet demand, Marchand said. The national Web site has been improved and local programs like Wilhelm’s plan to keep offices open longer, including Saturday.

“It seems that the approaching deadline has sparked more interest in people to get a better understanding of what the program is, what it will mean to them and whether they enroll,” Marchand said.

A report to be released today by the nonpartisan health care consumer advocacy group Families USA will show that Washington state’s most vulnerable seniors, those who were previously covered by both Medicaid and Medicare, have been “left out in the cold” by Part D, said Angela Omulepu, a Washington Citizen Action spokeswoman.

Despite trepidation, most seniors who have sought help signing up for Part D have come away happy, said John Boraas, a volunteer at the Lake City Senior Center in Coeur d’Alene. He estimated he has helped more than 200 people with one-on-one guidance since November. Most saved 50 percent or more on their current drug costs.

Clients should come prepared with their Social Security number and Medicare card, a list of their prescriptions – and a hopeful attitude.

“Most people have left really happy about coming in and having someone explain it to them,” Boraas said.