BALTIMORE (Reuters) -- Many of the 50 retirees who showed up this week for a town meeting about a complicated new Medicare bill arrived confused -- and left just as befuddled but twice as mad.

"How come the government can't bring down our drug prices?" shouted one man seated in the back.

"What can we do about this?" demanded a frustrated woman in her 70s, looking at a chart and learning that even with the new drug benefit in Medicare she could still face several thousand dollars in prescription costs each year.

Their lawmaker, Rep. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who represents parts of Baltimore, Annapolis and nearby suburbs, struck a notably nonpartisan tone in a 90-minute presentation on a bill he opposed.

The bill, which President Bush plans to sign into law next week, adds an outpatient prescription drug benefit for the 40 million elderly and disabled Medicare recipients. It also contains huge changes to encourage a far bigger role for private health insurers and managed care plans.

Cardin included charts, an on-screen presentation and ample time for questions and answers. He outlined many features of the bill he disliked, including gaps in the drug benefit, higher Medicare premiums, and paying private health plans more than it would cost to take care of someone in traditional government-run Medicare.

But he made no jibes at the congressional Republicans who drafted the bill, or at Bush, who signs it into law next week. The legislation is a domestic policy victory for Bush as he prepares to run for re-election and tries to capture a bigger share of the elderly vote.

"We'll let the partisan issues go to election time," Cardin said.

When the retirees in his audience asked how they could help change the bill, he did remind them that politicians and elected officials read their e-mail -- and next year is an election year.

"When more and more people understand what's in this bill, there will be a real clamor to change it," he predicted.