WASHINGTON - February 22 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) today released its updated numbers of how many people have enrolled in Medicare’s new Part D prescription drug program. The following is a statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about that report:

“The Administration’s new enrollment report is not only disappointing and well short of expectations, but it is extraordinarily misleading as well. When the Administration touts that 25.4 million seniors now have drug coverage, it masks the fact that the overwhelming majority of them – all but approximately 4.9 million – had drug coverage that was at least as good before the program even began.

“The vast majority of the seniors counted by the Administration’s enrollment report had drug coverage before the program began from either Medicaid, a previous employer, the Department of Veterans Affairs, managed care plans, or other public agencies. Only a meager approximate 4.9 million seniors now have drug coverage who didn’t have it before.

“Perhaps most tragically, only a tiny fraction of the low-income seniors who could most benefit from the new program are now receiving drug coverage.

“The Administration’s measure for program success has changed dramatically. In January 2005, the Administration projected that 39 million seniors would receive drug coverage. Now, the Administration says it will be successful if only 28-30 million seniors are covered.

“Instead of moving the program’s goalposts, it would be far better if the Administration changed its game plan so that the program’s costly complexity is fixed.”

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