Posted At Bradenton Herald Today
BY : Travis Reed
ORLANDO - Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole urged senior citizens Tuesday to fill out a four-page Medicare application that could save them thousands of dollars a year in prescription drug costs.
Dole was making the third of a six-city tour to encourage seniors to participate in the new program. Enrollment starts Nov. 15 and the benefit begins Jan. 1. Dole urged seniors to start looking into it early, because those who don't sign up by May 15 could incur extra premiums.
"They're not going to have to make a choice between groceries and medicine. They're going to have their medicine," he said at a news conference coinciding with the Florida Conference on Aging.
"You're going to have to make choices, and they're going to start happening very quickly," he said.
The Kansas Republican also encouraged seniors' younger relatives to help their loved ones understand the drug benefit.
"What does it mean for you - that's the bottom line," he said. "People are going to find out it means a lot for them. There are so many people out there willing to help seniors - mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, children, grand- children."
Dole, the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, says he wants seniors to know the program is easy to understand - and not everyone has to enroll. However, those who do would save an average of $1,300 on medicine each year, he said.
He also urged seniors to trust Medicare workers with private information like Social Security numbers, which many can be reluctant to give out.
"It's going to take awhile, and it's going to be confusing to some people," he said. "If it's not simple, it's going to collapse. I don't think it's that complicated."
Information can be found on the Medicare Web site, www.medicare.gov and by calling, 24 hours a day, 1-800-MEDICARE.
