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Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (CA-32), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ Task Force on Health, along with leading Latino advocacy organizations, held a press conference examining how Medicare Part D is affecting the Latino community. Solis and advocates called on the Republican Congress to extend the enrollment deadline from May 15th to December 31st and to eliminate the penalty associated with late enrollment.
“Many beneficiaries who have limited English proficiency face an additional challenge of obtaining information in their own language,” said Congresswoman Solis. “We should extend the enrollment deadline, take away the fear of the penalty, and give Medicare beneficiaries more time to check their facts, know their options, and make informed decisions about Part D.”
A new study by the Campaign for America’s Future, in conjunction with LULAC, found that Latino seniors are at a higher risk of missing the enrollment deadline as a result of cultural, language, and economic barriers. Consequently, Latino seniors lack prescription drug coverage at a disproportionate rate. Nearly 1 million Latinos are still not enrolled in Part D.
“Many seniors are confused by the number of options and need more time to pick the best plan for them,” said Dr. Gabriela Lemus, director of policy for League of United Latin American Citizens. “Seniors should not be forced to pay the price for the President’s confusing prescription drug benefit. They need more time to navigate the complexities of the flawed plan.”
Currently, those who sign up past the May 15th deadline will face a significant penalty – an increase in monthly premiums of one percent for every month past the deadline. If a beneficiary misses the deadline, he/she will not have the ability to enroll again until November 15th. This means that they will automatically be subject to a 7 percent minimum penalty for the rest of their lives.
Congresswoman Solis is an original co-sponsor of legislation that would extend the enrollment period for the new drug program from May 15th to December 31st (H.R. 3861). |
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