Delay Medicare deadline; problems make the case

Seniors have worried for months about changes in the Medicare prescription drug program that was launched Jan. 1. They have swamped telephone help-lines for assistance in understanding the new program, and fretted that when the deadline for selecting a plan rolled around, the system would leave them out in the cold.

Well, that worst fear came true for many Vermonters this week.

The state's Human Services Agency received thousands of calls this week from confused, angry and even desperate seniors who were unable to receive medications, and don't know what to do or where to go to fix the problem. They showed up at their local pharmacies with prescriptions, only to find they weren't in the computer system under any Medicare plan. Attempts by pharmacists to contact Washington to clear up the problems were met with jammed telephone and computer lines at the federal end.

Fortunately, the Human Services Agency and advocates for seniors won immediate approval from the Legislature to step in with emergency assistance for about 30,000 people enrolled in the state's own discount drug plan to ensure no one goes without important medications. It is hoped the glitches will be solved within 30 days, and if not, the state help should be extended.

That's only a short-term fix to this confusing situation. Congress must also pass legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., giving people until the end of the year to choose a plan under the new Medicare program (the current deadline is May 15), and to change plans once during that time without a penalty. Rep. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has called for similar changes.

This legislation is a no-brainer. Just ask any advocates for senior citizens who have spent months trying to sort through complicated federal changes, or the local pharmacist who spent this week trying to help his or her neighbors navigate the murky mess that began with the Jan. 1 deadline.

Vermont's problems are somewhat unique, but only somewhat. People already enrolled in the state discount drug program, who should have been switched to a Medicare plan, are finding themselves off any list for assistance. Some other seniors were able to fill their prescriptions under the new system as promised.

The state will cover the bills of those under its program in the short term, to the tune of about $7 million, but will require the federal government to provide reimbursement.

Vermont is not alone in experiencing significant problems with the new Medicare changes, however. Media reports across the country -- in Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, Maine and many other states -- indicate pharmacists, seniors and state governments are scrambling to make this system work for eligible residents.

It's likely that members of Congress who have been reluctant to extend the deadline for enrolling in the program got an earful from Medicare recipients during their holiday break home. As they get back to work in Washington, they ought to do what is right for their seniors and others who rely on this program for life-saving drugs.