The Bush administration said Monday that it had sent the first of some 20 million applications to low-income people who might qualify for financial assistance with Medicare's new prescription drug benefit.
But lawyers and other advocates for low-income people said the form was so complex that they expected fewer than 5 percent of the people to respond.
...One section of the new form asks people to distinguish between the face value and the cash value of life insurance. "Do you or your spouse (if married and living together) own life insurance policies with a total face value of $1,500 or more?" the form asks. "If the answer for either you or your spouse is yes, how much money would you get if you turned in your insurance policies for cash right now?"
Another question asks people how much money they receive from friends and relatives to help pay for food, shelter and utilities.
Administration officials said they needed such information to decide whether a person's income and assets were low enough to qualify for extra assistance.
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