When can people enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan?
When people first become eligible for Medicare, they can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan during the period that starts 3 months before the month they turn age 65 and ends 3 months after the month they turn age 65. Railroad retirement annuitants receiving benefits due to total and permanent disability or due to occupational disability (if they have been granted a disability freeze) can generally join a plan during the period that begins 3 months before and ends 3 months after their 24th month of cash disability benefits. Railroad retirement annuitants receiving benefits due to occupational disability who have not been granted a disability freeze are generally eligible to join a drug plan at age 65. (The standards for a freeze determination follow social security law and are comparable to the medical criteria for granting total disability.) Current Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan from November 15, 2005, through May 15, 2006. This is call
