Medicare officials say Part D meets enrollment goal

The Bush administration released new numbers on Medicare Part D sign-ups on Thursday. Medicare officials said that 30 million people have signed up for the benefit through April, meeting organizers' original goal. At the current pace of enrollment, 90 percent of eligible seniors will have prescription drug coverage by the May 15 deadline.

Are the new numbers reliable? "Not exactly," the Wall Street Journal harrumphed as it deconstructed the data. They include 3.5 million people signed up through TRICARE, the government health care program for the military, who aren't actually participating in Medicare. The numbers also include people who are getting coverage through Medicaid. The problem, the WSJ notes, is that the "the benefit has become political."

- see this article from the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)

PLUS: Part D participants may have to pay up to 7 percent more for their benefits next year, the Los Angeles Times reports. Article

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