WASHINGTON, May 10 (UPI) -- With the Medicare Part D May 15 deadline closing in, Medicare officials say 37 million seniors are now enrolled in the program.
More than one million more people have enrolled in Part D plans between late April and May 6 alone, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a statement issued Wednesday.
CMS said the total includes about 9 million enrolled in Part D "stand alone" plans, more than one million beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans and another 5.8 million getting benefits through Veterans Affairs and other government sources.
"I am very pleased with this increase in enrollment. With the help of so many, we have a real opportunity to make history and have prescription drug coverage for 90 percent of people with Medicare in the first year," said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt at a news conference Wednesday.
"We're pleased that 10 million of the 13 million beneficiaries eligible for the low-income subsidy now have coverage, and we will not stop our outreach to all those who are eligible," added CMS Administrator Mark McClellan. "We will continue our work with both national and local partners after May 15th to reach those who might be eligible and assist them in enrolling in the benefit."
He noted that low-income subsidized seniors will not be charged a penalty for late enrollment.
