Media Release

U.S. Congresswoman Corrine Brown, who represents Florida’s third congressional district, will hold a Town Hall Meeting where an assembly of experts will explain the new federal Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program to seniors and assist them in choosing a plan. The Town Hall Meeting will take place Monday, March 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Purpose Center, 1028 NE 14th St., Gainesville.

Since it was enacted last year, the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program is reputed to have confused and frustrated many seniors. In response to this issue, Congresswoman Brown has assembled some experts on the program who will help to simplify the options and assist seniors in choosing a drug plan that works for them. The deadline for Medicare recipients to sign up for a plan before significant late enrollment penalties apply is May 15, 2006, so it is imperative that seniors seek assistance before then if they are having trouble choosing a new plan or understanding how to keep their current plan.

This Town Hall Meeting will also be helpful for seniors having problems getting their prescriptions or seniors who have been told by pharmacies that they are not in the “system.” Representatives from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Social Security Administration, local support agencies and healthcare plan providers, will all be at the Town Hall Meeting to answer questions.

All seniors are invited to attend the meeting and find out if they are one of the 8 million low-income seniors eligible for coverage that costs just a few dollars per prescription.

Citizens unable to attend can obtain additional information by contacting Congresswoman Brown’s local office at (352) 376-6476, or any of the following agencies; Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227), the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337, or for low income prescription assistance contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.