Former Sen. Robert Dole stopped by Pittsburgh yesterday to extol Medicare's prescription drug plan while tamping down criticism that the program is confusing and, depending on one's perspective, either too costly or insufficient.

	Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette George Michell and his wife, Mary Lu, of Bethel Park, listen while former Sen. Robert Dole speaks about the new Medicare drug benefit at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center yesterday. The Michell's are both 77 years old. George Michell suffers from amyotropic lateral sclerosis. Click photo for larger image.

"There's all the negative stories making the news," he said at a news conference at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, Strip District. "There's bound to be a glitch or two. It's a big, big, big program, but it's a good program."

Mr. Dole said 2 percent to 3 percent of those trying to enroll are experiencing problems. While saying "that's 2 or 3 percent too high," he believes those problems will be overcome, resulting in lower prescription costs for many.

"For low-income Americans, this is a real bonanza."

Many Medicare recipients and their advocates have complained that the program, which is administered through private drug plans, is too complex and often requires significant cost-sharing from recipients.

Medicare's prescription drug program, known as Part D, which went online Jan. 1, is now handling 1 million prescriptions daily, said Leslie Norwalk, deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Dick Miller, 72, of East End, said his wife, Lillian, takes 15 different medications, for everything from Sjogren's syndrome, to a heart problem to arthritis. "We initially found it confusing and a little overwhelming," he said of the many drug plan options.

But then he set up a spread sheet to compare the offerings, whittled the list down to 10 plans and, when they made their decision, "we had no sign-up problems." They now expect to save about $6,000 a year on their prescriptions.

Wading through the information can be worth it, said Bill Bosanko, 68, from the Harrisburg area. Mr. Bosanko, a former pharmacy technician who has diabetes as well as heart and eye problems, was working two part-time jobs to pay for his medications. One medication costs him $36 a day for the two pills he needs. His insulin costs another $240 each month.

"I was totally exasperated" looking at all the alternative Medicare plans, Mr. Bosanko said, but then his Anglican bishop, Council Nedd II, offered to help and they needed only 15-20 minutes on the phone to get him enrolled. He's now looking at an $18 co-pay for a 90-day supply of needed medications.

Mr. Dole expects that many others will similarly benefit. "This is for seniors. This is for consumers. This is for people who need help and who spend too much of their income on medication."