In the past month, there was a nearly 15 percent increase in the number of Colorado elderly and disabled signing up for the new Medicare drug plan – although many are still wary about the new benefit, local senior citizen advocates say.
About 45,000 elderly and disabled in the state joined the insurance plan for prescription drugs, bringing the total with coverage to 353,108, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Wednesday.
The state has 526,703 Medicare beneficiaries. The majority of those were automatically enrolled or had other coverage.
Only 45,795 Medicare participants voluntarily joined, according to federal figures.
“There’s still concern about what to sign up for,” said Eileen Doherty, president of the Colorado Gerontological Society.
Fueling the confusion are the many differences in monthly premiums, deductibles, co-payments and covered drugs among plans, she said.
In Colorado, 18 private insurance companies are offering 43 Medicare-approved prescription drug plans.
Jane Barnes, a senior counselor at Centura Health, which offers a Medicare drug benefit hotline, said many seniors falsely believe the new program is only for the poor.
Barnes said she is concerned that seniors will not enroll by May 15, the federal deadline for joining without paying a financial penalty.
“Every Medicare recipient needs to make a decision about this,” Barnes said.
Bush administration officials are hailing increasing national enrollment in the prescription drug program, saying problems that plagued the benefit’s January launch are subsiding.
Since Jan. 15, between 250,000 and 400,000 seniors a week have signed up for drug coverage.
“There is clearly momentum developing,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt.
Nationally, 25.4 million of 41 million eligible for Medicare’s drug benefit are now enrolled, Leavitt said.
Critics charge the administration is overstating interest in program, which the federal government estimates will cost taxpayers $797 billion in the next 10 years.
Staff Writer Marsha Austin can be reached at 303-820-1242 or maustin@denverpost.com.
