This letter was sent to all members of the Senate

February 1, 2006

United States Senate
Washington , DC 20510

Dear Senator:

On behalf of the 4.6 million members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I strongly urge you to vote for Sen. Bill Nelson's Medicare Informed Choice Amendment to the tax reconciliation bill (H.R. 4287).

Senator Nelson's amendment would extend the initial enrollment period for Medicare Part D from M ay 15, 2006 to the end of 2006.  This would delay the late enrollment penalty and give beneficiaries more time to make the best possible decision. The amendment would also give beneficiaries the opportunity to make a one-time change in plan enrollment to correct initial mistakes choosing a plan during the first year of implementation.

Sen. Nelson has also introduced legislation ( S. 1841, the Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005) which contains provisions that are identical to his Senate amendment. In addition, S. 1841 would protect beneficiaries that mistakenly sign up for the new Part D benefit even though they have superior coverage through a former employer.

The National Committee strongly endorses S. 1841 because it provides valuable protections to seniors as they are faced with an overwhelming number of choices concerning the new prescription drug benefit. Over the next few months, Medicare's nearly 43 million beneficiaries will be deciding whether or not to participate in the over 3,000 different types of prescription drug plans available. Seniors in most areas are confronted with dozens of plan choices, and are required to weigh, not only which drug plan best suits their needs, but in the case of Medicare Advantage plans, which comprehensive menu of health services provides the best collection of benefits.

The National Committee believes it is necessary for Congress to pass the Medicare Informed Choice Amendment to reduce the anxiety that seniors face as they attempt to understand the new prescription drug benefit. Thank you for your continued leadership on behalf of America 's seniors.

Cordially,