Letter to the Editor

Reader in support of Medicare Part D

Sunday, February 22, 2009

To the Editor:

Open enrollment for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug component of Medicare recently closed through the nation.

For the third consecutive year, Hoosiers have been able to enroll and reap the benefits of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

In fact, Medicare Part D has helped nearly 500,000 Hoosiers pay for their prescription drugs that many could not otherwise afford. Medicare Part D has proven to be an effective way to help seniors stay healthy and give their families peace of mind in knowing their loved ones have the medicines they need.

Many seniors in Indiana are pleased with the way Medicare Part D is working to help them pay for prescription drug coverage. Ninety-one percent of the Part D beneficiaries say they believe the Part D program is working and they are glad they signed up.

In addition to the plan working for beneficiaries, it is also working for the nation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released information showing that spending for prescription medicines in 2007 was at an historic low of 4.9 percent -- the lowest growth the country has seen since 1963.

It is up to our legislators both here in Indiana and in Washington, D.C., to see the impact that Medicare Part D has had on Indiana's seniors. Without this program, many would not be able to afford insurance or prescription medications.

This program has helped countless seniors throughout the state and the nation. It is imperative that seniors continue to have the opportunity to take advantage of its benefits and that our legislators continue to support it.

Please let Medicare Part D keep working on behalf of Indiana's seniors.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Paden,

Rockville