Part D Starts Slow

The new Medicare drug benefit generated plenty of controversy in its first weeks, but the start-up glitches have very little to do with the long term outlook for the program. One key factor matters for 2006: enrollment. And with just 3.6 million voluntary sign-ups so far, Part D is not off to a fast start.

By Michael McCaughan

Headlines across the country told the same story in the early days of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Beneficiaries—especially the poorest—stuck at the pharmacy counter, unable to fill a prescription...

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