Low Interest in Medicare Part D Rx Plan
According to The World Peace Herald, less than one third of Medicare beneficiaries plan to sign up for the new prescription drug benefit. This information is based on a survey of 821 seniors nationwide conducted by DSS Research in Fort Worth, Texas.
“It takes a lot more than a few ads or speeches to help seniors make confident, informed decisions about their coverage,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, in a speech commemorating the program’s 40th anniversary Thursday.
In a statement, Roger Gates, chief executive officer of DSS, suggested that dissatisfaction and not ignorance was the cause of senior’s apparent low approval of the Part D program.
“This is not totally surprising, given that you have to spend $842 a year to break even at a $37 premium and the fact that the penalty is not large enough to force seniors into the program,” Gates said.