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Dole spreads Medicare word

In Tampa to tout the new Medicare benefit, former Sen. Bob Dole tells seniors not to listen to those who say the program is too confusing.

TAMPA - Before he became a U.S. senator, Bob Dole worked as a lawyer in Kansas, sometimes helping veterans get their pensions.

So to Dole, he's returning to his roots by trying to help senior citizens understand how to pick their newest benefit, Medicare prescription drug coverage.

"For too long, Medicare did not cover these drugs," Dole told a Tampa audience Tuesday. "The system was outdated. . . . Medicare would cover the $100,000 heart surgery, but would not cover the $1,000 in prescription drugs that might have prevented the surgery in the first place."

Enrollment for the new drug benefit opened Tuesday, and Dole said the program is going to help millions of seniors. He spoke at an information fair hosted by the Florida Council on Aging at the A La Carte Event Pavilion.

Dole acknowledged many people still have questions about the benefit. People can choose whether to sign up, as well as which plan to pick from about two dozen offered by insurance companies and other groups.

"There's bound to be some confusion," Dole said before his speech. "Let's face it. We've got 42-million (eligible) people involved here."

But Dole, 82, also told his audience of a few hundred people, mostly senior citizens, their confusion level has been overestimated.

"There's a myth out there . . . that you're not as sharp as you were when you were younger. That you can't make good choices," Dole said. "Don't let anyone talk down to you. You're a customer."

But several people at Tuesday's fair said choosing the right plan isn't easy.

"It's still confusing," said Tampa resident Martha Blanco, 69. "This really didn't answer specific questions."

But St. Petersburg resident Lois Smith said she now has more direction.

"This made it a lot clearer. I don't know whether to keep the plan I'm on now," she said, referring to the health insurance she already has that includes some drug coverage. "This is helping me to figure out if I want to stay."

TODAY AND THURSDAY: A Senior Extravaganza at Tropicana Field from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Officials from Medicare and the Social Security Administration, advocates from Medicare Today and AARP and representatives from Florida's SHINE program, which advises seniors on insurance issues, will answer questions and give advice. People who want individual help should bring a list of all their medications and dosages.