New Medicare Plan Keeps Seniors Guessing

''It's a big change since the creation of Medicare 40 years ago,'' Betty Duggan, director of training/community programs for Medicare Rights Center (MRC), said during a recent Medicare conference sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Manhattan. ''For some people, this could be scary. They may also find the program very complicated.''

Starting last Sunday, New Year’s Day, the new drug coverage plan is now open to 42 million beneficiaries across the country. Although it is voluntary, a participant must sign up to be eligible for coverage, and must choose one of the drug plans Medicare has offered. Participants may sign up until May 15, 2006. For those who joined by December 31, 2005, their free prescription-drug coverage began January 1, 2006.

While it is challenging for millions of U.S. residents, including four million African Americans, on Medicare to sign up, Duggan said that those who really should have enrolled before 2006 are recipients of both the Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

''The prescription drug benefits of those under Medicaid will be enrolled in the new Medicare prescription-drug benefit program. If they don't sign up by December 31, 2005, Medicare will randomly choose a plan for them,'' she said.

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