Timothy H. Bishop: “with only 5 days before the deadline to sign up for the Medicare drug benefit, only 9 percent of eligible New Yorkers…”

“with only 5 days before the deadline to sign up for the Medicare drug benefit, only 9 percent of eligible New Yorkers have voluntarily signed up for it. Why such low enrollment? Could it be that seniors have to choose among 47 plans that keep changing? It is a daunting task to tackle a moving target. Could it be that a third of the calls answered by Medicare operators result in inaccurate information or none at all? Could there be a more clear-cut case for extending the sign-up deadline? Clearly, the President disagrees. To him, the ``D'' in part D stands for ``deadline.'' But he is not a senior or a disabled American who needs and deserves more time and for whom ``D'' stands for disaster. After holding dozens of town hall meetings over the past 6 months, I join with my colleagues today in calling upon the Republicans to extend the deadline, penalty free, through the end of the year. For nine of 10 eligible New Yorkers who haven't chosen a plan yet, but must pick from among 47 plans, another 6 months will go a long way toward helping them choose a plan that is right for them. ____________________”