If you’re a senior interested in signing up for the new Medicare prescription drug plan, crunch time is here.
Local help sessions are filling up as the May 15 deadline approaches. One sign-up session at the Lynnwood Convention Center on Saturday already is full.
“This is like the holiday rush,” said Shirley Hauck, a Medicare prescription drug specialist with Senior Services of Snohomish County.
“We’ve had people literally crying on the phone because they’re so frustrated,” she said. “Enrollment events were full. They couldn’t get appointments.”
Two workshops have been added to help people with enrollment: one Friday at the South County Senior Center in Edmonds and another April 25 at Armstrong In-Home Care in Lynnwood.
The largest local sign-up session will be held May 4 at the Everett Events Center.
“That’s an all-day thing,” Hauck said, with 10 sign-up stations planned. Some senior centers and retirement homes are providing transportation to the event, she said.
Although these are just some of the opportunities to get help, those who want to enroll in the new drug insurance plan should act soon, Hauck said. “My major message is beat the rush. Get your stuff in right away.”
Those who don’t sign up until mid-May probably won’t be able to get medications through their plan until the first of July because of the time it takes to process applications, she said.
A May 1 deadline has been set for people to seek help from Senior Services of Snohomish County. About 3,000 people have used the mail to get information on choosing a prescription drug plan, Hauck said. Seniors also can go directly to the Medicare Web site, www.medicare.gov, for information about plans. However, the site is expected to bog down as the deadline approaches, Hauck said.
Karen Kelly, an employee at Providence Everett Medical Center, helped seniors sign up for the prescription plan during a recent workshop at the hospital.
With 46 prescription insurance plans to choose from in Washington state, “I’m seeing that they’re still confused about the whole process,” Kelly said.
But by the time they finish step-by-step instructions, the choice has been narrowed to three suggested prescription plans, she said.
“They’re saying, ‘Oh, I think I can do this, ’ ” Kelly said. “When we sign them up, it’s like taking the weight off their shoulders.”
Medicare workshops
Here’s a list of workshops where seniors can get help signing up for the new Medicare prescription drug plan:
April 21: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., South County Senior Center, 220 Railroad Ave., Edmonds. Call 425-774-5555 for an appointment.
April 25: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Armstrong In-Home Care, Lynnwood, 18009 Highway 99, Suite D. Call Senior Services of Snohomish County at 425-513-1900 for an appointment.
May 2: Noon-4 p.m., East County Senior Center, 824 Village Way, Monroe. Call Senior Services of Snohomish County at 425-513-1900 for information.
May 3: 8-11 a.m., Providence Everett Medical Center, 916 Pacific Ave. Call 425-258-7357 for a reservation.
May 4: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Everett Events Center, 2000 Hewitt Ave. Call Senior Services of Snohomish County at 425-513-1900 for information.
May 11: 1-4 p.m., South County Senior Center, 220 Railroad Ave., Edmonds. Call 425-774-5555 for an appointment.
Source: Senior Services of Snohomish County
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