Bush: "Deadlines Are Important"
Bush Holds Firm to Drug Benefit Deadline
Bush Urges Elderly to Work Through Complexities of Drug Plan to Reap Its Rewards
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1944302
(Gold9472: I thought Bush didn't believe in timetables?)
ORLANDO, Fla. May 10, 2006 (AP)— President Bush is working against two clocks as he promotes new government coverage through Medicare for prescription drugs: Monday's fast-approaching deadline to enroll in the program without penalty and the fall's midterm elections.
The president was finishing up a swing through the state with the highest percentage of senior citizens with a final event in Orlando to promote the new benefit.
On Tuesday, appearing near Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Bush encouraged the elderly to work through their concerns about the program's complexity and consider signing up.
"We want people to understand there are really good benefits," Bush said at a retirement community in Sun City Center, south of Tampa. "If you haven't looked at the program, take a look."
The president also rejected renewed pleas for an extension of the May 15 deadline to sign up for the coverage. Those who do not enroll by Monday except for low-income retirees face higher premiums.
"Deadlines are important," Bush said, after opening up his appearance to questions and getting two on whether he would extend the deadline. "Deadlines help people understand there's finality and people need to get after it."
The new program allows 43 million Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in a government-paid private plan that will subsidize the cost of their prescription medications.
With about 37 million people now either signed up or automatically enrolled, federal officials from Bush down have engaged in an all-out push to spread the word to those remaining and help them navigate choosing a plan, a process many find confusing.
Most people have more than 40 plans to select from, and savings vary depending on the medicines needed, income levels and the plan chosen.
The White House and congressional Republicans are hoping that the glitches of the program's early days and the confusing signup will have faded in memory by the fall midterm elections, replaced by widespread satisfaction with having help from Medicare with prescription drug costs for the first time.
As the controlling party in Congress, Republicans would like to see seniors who play an outsize role in non-presidential elections give them credit in the voting booth for enacting a popular benefit.
For now, although polls indicate that most who enroll are happy with the insurance, many seniors and those trying to help them still are complaining about the complexity.
