Nationally, advocacy groups and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are arguing seniors should be given more time to select one of the new private drug plans without penalty.

Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have asserted a change would take an act of Congress. Today, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, two leaders in a new campaign against the deadline, are expected to send Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a letter urging him to push it back.

Hatch advised against any such expectations while in Salt Lake City Tuesday to hold his 19th annual Utah Conference for Seniors.

"We have to keep that deadline because we want people to take it seriously," the Republican senator said. "I've had a lot of people come up to me and say, 'I've held off until the seniors conference to get advice.' I think they need to check into it now."

But Peter Hebertson, outreach program manager for Salt Lake County Aging Services, applauded efforts by the Medicare Rights Center and others to give beneficiaries more time to decide. His agency has been fielding calls and helping people enroll since the Nov. 15 opening date and had a lengthy waiting list at one point.

The new coverage, offered through private insurance companies, is the biggest change in the 40-year history of Medicare. Its launch was plagued by early glitches with Medicare's enrollment Web site, and the number of plans offered - including 44 stand-alone drug plans in Utah - is much higher than originally expected.

"It would be very beneficial and only fair to extend the deadline some," Hebertson said. "We were behind at the beginning because of the computer issues with Medicare. We've done a good job getting through to those people. But it's starting to pick up again with the deadline approaching, and we know it will be crazy May 1."

As of April 10, 163,339 of Utah's 239,780 beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Part D. That was up 5.6 percent from March 18, officials said.

Those who enroll after the May 15 deadline will have to wait for drug coverage until the next open enrollment window - in November - and will pay a small penalty added to their monthly premium.

The government has authorized a special, extended enrollment period for low-income people who qualify for "extra help," which allows them to enroll in a drug plan without penalty after May 15.

The Medicare Rights Center has asked Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt - Utah's former governor - to designate a similar "special enrollment period" for all beneficiaries.

"The secretary must not turn his back on the millions of Americans who need drug coverage," said Robert Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer rights group.

"People continue to be paralyzed by the array of confusing private drug plan choices and anxious that they will be locked into a plan that does not meet their needs," he said.

Extending the deadline also would give people who have already enrolled the right to switch plans when companies change their lists of covered drugs, or when a new illness, diagnosis or prescription makes their plan inappropriate, Hayes added.

People now enrolled in the new drug plans are locked into their plan from May 15 until the next enrollment period.

But Mark Levine, chief medical officer for the Denver region of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the agency's hands are tied by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, which created the new drug program.

"It appears as though, without a special change of law, it would not be possible to extend the deadline," said Levine, who also attended Hatch's conference. "If you are one of the 76,441 [Utahns] who have not enrolled . . . it might be time to revisit it and make a decision before May 15."

chamilton@sltrib.com

My Medicare Matters events

My Medicare Matters will hold the following informational events to help people learn about the Medicare prescription drug coverage benefit.

* Preston Place and Martha's Terrace: Thursday, 10 a.m. Ð 1 p.m., 2673 S. Preston, Salt Lake City, 801-484-4460

* Kearns Senior Center: Friday, 10 a.m. Ð 1 p.m., 4850 W. 4715 South, Kearns, 801-965-9183

* Northview Senior Center: Saturday, 10 a.m. Ð 1 p.m., 485 E. 2550 North, North Ogden, 801-782-6211

* Magna Senior Center: Monday, 10 a.m. Ð 2 p.m., 8952 W. 2700 South

Magna, 801-250-0692