Datebook
MONDAY, MAY 15
DRUG PLAN DEADLINE. Today is the last day to sign up for Medicare's prescription drug benefit program, Part D. Anyone eligible for the new program--generally people on Medicare who had inadequate or no prescription coverage--must sign up by today to avoid paying a penalty. The government says that almost 36 million out of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries now have drug coverage, through either Part D or another program. Still, that leaves about 7 million who have yet to enroll.
TUESDAY, MAY 16
HOLOCAUST HISTORY. The 11-nation commission that oversees the records of the Nazi regime is set to meet in Luxembourg today. This will be the first meeting of the International Tracing Service since German officials agreed to open the archives to the public, a move they have resisted for decades. Located in Bad Arolsen, Germany, the archives contain close to 50 million documents with information on more than 15 million people. They reportedly detail the horrors of concentration camp life, including pseudo-medical experimentation. Researchers or family members who want to look at the records now must submit their requests in writing, and responses can take years. Participants at the Luxembourg conference will negotiate new rules for access, including the possibility of sharing more records electronically.
With Jay Tolson, Betsy Querna and Carol S. Hook
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