Medicare Application

Medicare Application

At Port Offices

Postmaster Carol Miller of Washington, Va. announced today that application blanks for siq>plemental Medicare bene. fits are available at the window 'Of the Washington, Virginia Post Office. The application blanks are being made available as the Social Security administration seeks to contact 3.1 million senior citizens before a March 31 deadline imposed by the Medicare law. President Johnson has proclaimed March as 'National Medicare Enrollment Month.” He urged all federal agencies and all citizens to cooperate in enrolling senior citizens in the program. Initially, some two and onehalf million application blanks were distributed to nearly 34,000 main post-offices throughout the 50 states. Addi tional forms are available as needed. Through direct mailings and other means, the Social Secur. ity Administration has had contact with 16 of the 19.1 million citizens who will be 65 or over on July 1. Of the 16 million who replied, less than one million said they did not Want to sign up for the supplemental program. The supplemental program costs $3 a month and provides doctor bill and other benefits. Everyone 65 and over is eligible for the basic hospital £ benefits under Medicare. A copy of the application blank is displayed on the lobby bulletin board of the Washington Post Office. I Senior citizens who reached i 65 before 1966 face a two year ? delay if they do not sign up 1 by March 31. The application j forms are preaddressed to I tba ^KWiaii Security Artmlnis: tration in Baltimore, Maryj land.