WASHINGTON — Although the sign-up period for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is barely two weeks old, pressure is mounting in Congress to extend it so that senior citizens can have more time to understand a program many find dauntingly complex.
The registration period is scheduled to end May 15. But lawmakers who have been in their home districts during the Thanksgiving holiday have reported being besieged by elderly constituents.
Despite being attracted to the plan's promise of saving them money, many seniors are struggling to sort through the options -- and through sometimes incomplete or inaccurate information on costs and benefits.
"My guess is when [Congress] comes back from Thanksgiving recess, they'll be jumping up and down to do something, because they're hearing from a lot of people who are getting heartburn trying to figure this out," Rep. Pete Stark (D-Fremont) said Thursday. He wants to extend the deadline through the end of 2006.
The Republican Party leadership has opposed an extension.
Supporters of the drug benefit -- a signature domestic policy accomplishment of the Bush administration -- are trying to discern whether the program will right itself after a rough launch or whether the trouble is more serious.
Under current law, seniors who enroll after the deadline face a monetary penalty in the form of higher monthly premiums for as long as they remain in the program.
That's partly why the idea of granting more time is gaining ground, said a spokesman for Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who has proposed a bill seeking a six-month extension. Like Stark's legislation, Fitzpatrick's would delay the penalty.
"It reflects what we are hearing from our constituents," said the spokesman, Jeff Urbanchuk. "We have met with more than 3,000 senior citizens in 12 town-hall meetings. And you compound that with polls that say people around the country are confused."
Fitzpatrick represents suburban Bucks County north of Philadelphia.
In a test vote last month, a majority in the Senate supported extending the deadline and postponing the penalty. But the 51-47 vote, on an amendment by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), fell short of a 60-vote requirement for adding provisions to tax bills.
"I think that vote is reflective of bipartisan support," said Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin, who noted that seven Republicans broke ranks with the party leadership to support the measure. "We intend to push it again in January."
