U.S. healthcare cuts minimal, more pain looms

2011-11-22T07:30:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The breakdown of deficit talks in Congress will exact little pain on the U.S. healthcare industry, but it's a temporary reprieve from steeper cuts that could be put back on the table in 2013.

The failure of the congressional "super committee" to reach a deal triggers a two percent across-the-board cut to

Healthcare cuts minimal, more pain looms

2011-11-21T15:30:19Z

The failure of the congressional "super committee" to reach a deal triggers a 2 percent across-the-board cut to

High-Income Seniors Hit With Medicare Surcharge

2011-11-21T11:30:31Z

You'll have to pay more for Part B and Part D if your income tops a certain level.

After several years of being retired, I had a big bump-up in income in 2009 when I exercised stock options. That triggered a high-income surcharge for my Part B and Part D Medicare premiums this year. Does this mean I will have to pay the high-income surcharge next year, too?

Medicare Premiums to Decrease for Some

2011-10-31T10:30:53Z

However, high-income beneficiaries will continue to pay extra for Medicare Part B and Part D.

Do you know how much the Medicare Part B premiums will be for 2012? How much extra will high-income people pay for Medicare coverage next year?

SEE ALSO: Our Special Report on Navigating Medicare

The <...

Medicare 2012 premium hike smaller than feared

2011-10-27T14:30:23Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most elderly Americans covered by the government's Medicare insurance program will see a smaller-than-expected rise in their monthly premiums next year, health officials said on Thursday.

Standard premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers doctor visits, outpatient services and some home healthcare, will be $99.90. For mo...

Medicare relaxes rules for coordinated care

2011-10-20T14:30:24Z

(Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Thursday relaxed rules to make it easier for hospitals and doctors to receive financial incentives if they work together to coordinate patient care.

The so-called Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are an experimental part of President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul, meant to imp...

HHS loosens Medicare red tape as part of Obama plan

2011-10-19T08:31:12Z

(Reuters) - Health officials on Tuesday proposed loosening some Medicare rules in what they say could lead to $1.1 billion in first-year savings as part of President Barack Obama's effort to cut federal red tape.

Most of the savings would come through changes to the conditions of participa...

U.S. deficit panel weighs Medicare doctor payments

2011-10-12T15:00:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The congressional "super committee" charged with reducing U.S. budget deficits is considering tackling a measure that could make their job even harder by preventing a steep pay cut for Medicare doctors.

The bipartisan panel that has been tasked with finding at leas...

Deficit panel weighs Medicare doctor payments

2011-10-12T14:00:35Z

The bipartisan panel that has been tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budget savings over 10 yea...

FDA, Medicare to review medical devices in tandem

2011-10-07T12:30:16Z

(Reuters) - U.S. health officials are launching a trial of a program meant to speed up Medicare payment decisions for new medical devices.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the safety and effectiveness of the devices, will review...

Some Medicare plan prices drop: now is time to shop

2011-10-05T15:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If you're a senior on Medicare - or if you help out aging parents with their money matters - it's time to get ready to shop. The annual enrollment period for Medicare prescription drug and Advantage managed care plans is about to begin, and it's one of the best opportunities of the year for seniors to save money.

The new he...

Medicare prescription drug abuse a problem: GAO

2011-10-04T11:30:18Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prescription drug abuse by elderly and disabled beneficiaries of Medicare cost the U.S. program nearly $150 million in 2008, highlighting an area where the government can seek to save health costs.

According to a government report released on Tuesday, some of these patients went to at least five doctors to ge...

Analysis: Obama deficit plan unlikely to impress ratings firms

2011-09-20T13:30:22Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's plan to tame U.S. budget deficits probably relies too much on ending wars and too little on tackling health care spending to impress Wall Street credit rating agencies.

The Reuters) - The U.S. hospital and drug industries lashed out at provisions of President Barack Obama's deficit reduction plan that would saddle them with more than $200 billion in federal healthcare spending cuts.

Lobbyists vowed to fight proposals for Reuters) - A new congressional "super committee" will face tough choices on politically popular government health and retirement programs as it tries to draft a plan to reduce deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over a decade.

The panel has until November 23 to make recommendations that the Senate and Allow Medicare to collect greater rebates for drug purchases

The prescription drug plan for Medicare recipients has turned into a sweetheart deal for pharmaceutical manufacturers that is costing taxpayers billions of dollars. The 2003 law that created the optional Part D Medicare program for elderly and disabled recipients is causing this problem. That's because

How to Find Doctors Who Accept Medicare

2011-08-22T10:30:23Z

Start your search online and be willing to switch plans to get access to a bigger network of providers.

My parents are moving from Florida to Wisconsin and are having a difficult time finding doctors who accept Medicare. Are there any good re...

The Good News on Social Security

2011-08-18T10:30:22Z

All that’s needed are some nips and tucks to get the supplemental retirement program on a sounder financial path. The tougher problems are with Medicare and Medicaid.

“Medicare.

Nevada's special election in...

Health spending more complex than Medicare shows

2011-08-09T21:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Communities known for paying the most on healthcare may not be spending as much as once thought, according to new data released on Wednesday.

A Thomson Reuters study, touted as the first of its kind, examined private insurance claims for 23.5 million Americans across the U.S. in 2009. The findings identified "metropolitan statistical ar...

Top 11 Takeaways from the Debt Deal

2011-08-05T10:30:13Z

A real solution to federal debt and deficit woes remains elusive. More pain ahead? The deal could hurt the U.S. economy.

Now that Congress has defused the debt limit time bomb, it’s tempting to forget the enormity of the federal government’s fiscal problems. But, althoug...

Acute-care hospitals to see higher Medicare payments

2011-08-01T15:30:27Z

(Reuters) - The U.S. government announced an increase in reimbursement rates to acute-care hospitals for 2012, a sharp contrast to the cut it announced for skilled nursing facilities on Friday.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) increased payment ra...

Medigap limits could save Medicare money

2011-07-20T12:00:55Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal deficit-reduction proposals that would limit Medicare supplemental insurance plans could save money but raise costs for some elderly beneficiaries, a study said on Wednesday.

Requiring higher out-of-pocket costs and deductibles for private "Medigap" plans is contained in most deficit reduction proposals being weig...

Medicare in CD2 spotlight

2011-07-19T02:30:22Z

After flipping New York's 26th District in a special election two months ago, national Democrats were sure they would come up with a surefire formula to win back the House next year: Medicare.

Democrats thought they won that heavily Republican district because they painted themselves as protectors of the social safety net against a Republican onslaught in the form of Rep...

Ad hoc efforts help cut U.S. healthcare costs

2011-07-15T09:02:01Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare, comparative research made physicians realize that inducing early childbirth in healthy women created unnecessary and costly risks for newborns.

Artificially induced deliveries had become an accepted way to make childbirth fit busy personal schedules. The practice has health ris...

Death rates higher for patients in U.S. territories

2011-06-28T13:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hospitals in the U.S. territories see more deaths after heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia than the states, according to a study out Tuesday.

Researchers said the healthcare gap is not explained by patients being sicker or hospitals lacking medical facilities, but could be due to a lack of federal f...

Medicare preventive care use still spotty

2011-06-20T15:00:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than five million Medicare recipients have used preventive healthcare services to date in 2011, and U.S. health officials are trying to accelerate that trend to combat crippling healthcare costs.

The Reuters) - Aetna Inc said on Monday that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had lifted a ban on the No. 3 health insurer's marketing and enrollment of new members to its Medicare p...

Republican says no 'political fallout' from cuts

2011-05-27T17:30:21Z

The US Senate's top Republican predicted Friday that voters in the 2012 election won't punish his party for demanding huge spending cuts to reduce the US deficit.

"We don't know what the issues are going to be in next year's election, it's a year and a half from now," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

McConnell says Medicare will be part of deficit deal

2011-05-27T09:00:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Friday that the Medicare healthcare program will be part of any bipartisan agreement to reduce the U.S. deficit and incr...

Republicans stick to plan to privatize Medicare

2011-05-25T14:30:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans on Wednesday stuck by their plan to privatize the Medicare federal health insurance program for the elderly despite a rebuke from voters in a special congressional election in New York state.

"We can no longer let politicians in US Democrat Party was jubilant Wednesday after an upset victory in a congressional by-election seen as baring a potentially fatal weakness in Republican strategy ahead of 2012 national polls.

The immediate battle in upstate New York's 26th Congressional District was to fill the usually safe Republican seat vacated by

Deficit talks look at spending-cut compromises

2011-05-25T12:00:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deficit-reduction negotiators have identified broad areas for saving hundreds of billions of dollars but still disagree on changing the costly but popular Medicare program, a source familiar with the talks said on Wednesday.

Vice...

Democrats score upset victory in NY election

2011-05-25T03:00:08Z

The Democratic Party scored an upset victory late Tuesday in a tight Congressional by-election seen testing Republicans' strategy on politically sensitive budget cuts ahead of 2012 nationwide vote.

The race in western New York's 26th Congressional District saw ...

Democrat set for upset win in NY election

2011-05-24T21:00:27Z

The Democratic Party appeared to have scored an upset victory late Tuesday in a tight Congressional by-election seen testing Republicans' strategy on politically sensitive budget cuts ahead of 2012 nationwide polls.

The race in western New York state's 26th Con...

Social Security, Medicare burning through funds

2011-05-14T04:30:15Z

The United States is burning through its health care and retirement fund pools faster than planned, with the Medicare trust fund to be exhausted by 2024, five years earlier than expected, officials said.

A combination of higher costs and lower-than-expected revenues has worsened the outlook for Medicare as well as for So...

Medicare to exhaust funds sooner, report finds

2011-05-13T09:30:48Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two of the government's most popular programs for the elderly, Medicare and Social Security, will run out of money sooner than thought earlier as a slow-growing economy saps revenues, a report Friday said.

Truste...

U.S. House committee not to move Medicare plan

2011-05-05T07:00:48Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp said Thursday his panel has no plans to move forward on a Republican proposal that would privatize the Medicare health program for future retirees.

Camp said he would rather move a compromise on Medicare a...

Hospitals to get cash boost for better care

2011-04-29T10:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hospitals that improve medical care for elderly patients, and reduce deadly errors, will get millions of dollars under an incentive program launched on Friday that aims to cut overall Medicare costs.

The government healthcare program for seniors spent about $4.4 billion in 2009 to...

U.S. Republicans regroup on Medicare, budget plan

2011-04-27T07:30:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers privately discussed ways on Tuesday to better explain a proposed overhaul of a popular healthcare program for the elderly after a number of testy exchanges with constituents.

"Some members are feeling the heat," a congressional aide said, referring to some voters' reaction to a proposal by Paul Ry...

Stents: How new technology drives health costs

2011-04-25T15:30:08Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Heart devices known as drug-eluting stents have added as much as $1.57 billion to U.S. health costs since their introduction in 2003, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The study offers an illustration of how new technology can drive health costs, the researc...

Republicans gamble on long-term spending cuts

2011-04-16T20:30:29Z

Republicans have gambled on a risky course to deny President Barack Obama reelection in 2012: deep long-term spending cuts that could cost them critical support from elderly voters.

Republicans owed their November 2010 rout of Democrats in large part to Americans over 65, who went for the party by a 59-38 margin four years after splitting evenly in the 2...

US House passes Republican spending plan

2011-04-15T17:30:26Z

President Barack Obama's Republican foes in the US House of Representatives muscled their politically risky budget to passage Friday, calling it the cure to out-of-control government spending.

In an almost perfect party-line vote, lawmakers voted 235-193 to approve the non-binding blueprint crafted by Republican

Obama lays out vision for curing U.S. fiscal woes

2011-04-13T13:30:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday laid out his long-term strategy to reduce the U.S. budget deficit by $4 trillion over 12 years.

He proposed four steps: savings on the defense budget, elimination of waste in healthcare spending, control of d...

Obama targets $4 trillion cut in deficit

2011-04-13T10:30:37Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama proposed cutting ballooning U.S. budget deficits by $4 trillion over 12 years on Wednesday and called for talks with Democratic and Republican lawmakers to address the worsening fiscal woes.

Obama, who has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for taking...

As boomers age, a soul-searching budget battle

2011-04-06T22:30:04Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In 1983, a civil servant named Robert Ball worked a political miracle: he convinced Republican Ronald Reagan to raise taxes and Democrat Tip O'Neill to accept trims to

Republican to call for sweeping Medicare changes

2011-04-05T07:30:40Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican proposal for sweeping changes to Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs appears unlikely to pass Congress, but could electrify the debate over the budget going into next year's elections.

Reuters) - Republicans on Tuesday proposed $6 trillion in spending cuts over a decade, including a politically risky overhaul of government-run health programs, while also slashing tax rates as part of their 2012 budget blueprint.

The budget proposal comes as Congress and

Republican budget plan would cut $5.8 trillion in 10 years

2011-04-04T18:30:46Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican budget plan due to be unveiled on Tuesday would cut $5.8 trillion from U.S. spending over the next 10 years, a congressional aide familiar with the proposal said on Monday.

The plan, which would take effect when the next fiscal year starts on October 1, is expected to propose sweeping changes to the

Republicans eye bigger cuts amid U.S. budget fight

2011-04-01T14:30:52Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the biggest spending cut in U.S. history takes shape in Congress, Republicans are preparing a more ambitious proposal that could scale back the benefit programs that account for the majority of government spending.

Republicans in the Reuters) - As the biggest spending cut in U.S. history takes shape in Congress, Republicans are preparing a more ambitious proposal that could scale back the benefit programs that account for the majority of government spending.

Republicans in the House of Represe...

U.S. Medicare rules seek improved care, lower costs

2011-03-31T15:00:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Medicare regulators on Thursday launched a program for doctors to deliver more follow-up care to patients that they predict will save the government as much as $960 million over the next three years while providing better healthcare for the elderly.

The Reuters) - Medicare regulators on Thursday launched a program for doctors to deliver more follow-up care to patients that they predict will save the government as much as $960 million over the next three years while providing better healthcare for the elderly.

The CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nearly 15 million people in the United States take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, amounting to 17 billion hours or more than $202 billion in unpaid care, Alzheimer's experts said on Tuesday.

If these caregivers all...

Budget Battle Leaves Congress in a Bind

2011-03-04T11:30:13Z

Are lawmakers in the cut-spending camp misreading public sentiment?

You’ve seen the headlines: "Budget Deal Avoids Government Shutdown."

There’s just one little problem -- those headlines are wrong.

For sure, the move by House Republicans to fold $4 billion of spending cuts that Democrats can mo...

Taxes When Mom or Dad Depends on You

2011-02-14T11:30:28Z

Even modest retirement income can thwart your attempt to claim a parent as a dependent.

Although you may spend a lot of time and money supporting an aging parent, claiming your mom or dad as a dependent for tax purposes can be difficult. But it’s not impossible.

First, your parent must be a U.S. citizen or live in the Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday his healthcare overhaul is an important part of efforts to cut the budget deficit and insisted he will not "refight" the battle to pass the law.

With emboldened Republicans vowing to repeal or replace the healthcare law he signed last March, Obama rei...

U.S. sues Boston Scientific over heart devices

2011-01-27T15:00:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday that it sued Boston Scientific Corp and Guidant, which it acquired in 2006, for selling defective heart devices implanted in

MountainView funding in jeopardy

2011-01-25T02:31:45Z

Second inspection to determine if changes made; Medicare payments in balance

A recent inspection at MountainView Hospital will determine whether the facility loses its Medicare payments, a staggering financial blow.

In October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal government's insurance for patients older than 65, found that...

What to Do With Your Health Savings Account Once You're Medicare-Eligible

2011-01-10T11:30:31Z

Once you sign up for Medicare, you can no longer contribute to an HSA. How should you manage the transition?

My wife will be 65 in June 2011 and eligible for Medicare, but I don’t turn 65 until 2012. We currently have a high-deductible health-insurance policy and usually contribute the maximum amou...

Senate Democrats vow to block health care repeal

2011-01-03T10:30:15Z

Citing health law's benefits, Senate Democrats warn Boehner they'll block health care repeal

Top Senate Democrats are warning House Speaker-elect John Boehner they'll block any Republican effort to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Citing better

CVS to buy Medicare business of Universal American

2010-12-31T07:30:11Z

CVS to acquire Universal American's Medicare business for $1.25 billion

CVS Caremark Corp. says it will pay $1.25 billion to Universal American Corp. for its Medicare prescription drug services unit.

CVS says it wants ...

CVS to buy Universal American's Medicare drug unit

2010-12-31T06:30:39Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drugstore chain CVS Caremark agreed to buy Universal American's Medicare prescription drug business for about $1.25 billion.

The deal will more than double the size of CVS Caremark's busines...

What you pay for Medicare won't cover your costs

2010-12-30T13:00:19Z

You paid your Medicare taxes all those years and want your money's worth: full benefits after you retire.

Nearly three out of five people say in a recent Associated Press-GfK poll that they paid into the system so they deserve their full benefits — no cuts.

But a newly updated financial analysis shows that what people paid into the system ...

AP-GfK Poll: Baby boomers worried about Medicare

2010-12-30T00:30:12Z

AP-GfK Poll: Baby boomers willing to sacrifice to preserve Medicare coverage and benefits

Anxious to receive their Medicare benefits after years of paying taxes into the system, baby boomers say they're willing to sacrifice to preserve the scope and level of coverage.

The first boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare Jan. 1, and a new Medicare recipients voluntary end-of-life planning, which Democrats dropped from the monumental health care overhaul last year.

The provision allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and painful decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death.

But the practice was heavily criticized by former

Feds: Medicare bilked for inhaler drugs in Fla.

2010-12-21T21:30:11Z

Feds: Scam bilks Medicare in Fla.; program pays for more inhaler drugs than available to buy

A scam tricked Medicare into paying for nearly 10 times more units of an inhaler drug than were available in South Florida, costing taxpayers millions, according to a federal investigation released Wednesday.

Government liabilities rose $2 trillion in FY 2010: Treasury

2010-12-21T16:00:37Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government fell deeper into the red in fiscal 2010 with net liabilities swelling more than $2 trillion as commitments on government debt and federal benefits rose, a U.S. Treasury report showed on Tuesday.

The Financial Report of the Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday an Obama administration crackdown on health care fraud is paying dividends, recovering more than $4 billion in Massachusetts alone during the past two years.

The nation's chief law enforcement officer told attendees at a summit the government will gain new tools and resources through the recen...

Obama signs bill to delay Medicare doctor pay cuts

2010-12-15T16:31:45Z

Obama signs $19 billion bill to delay Medicare pay cuts to doctors for 1 year

President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation that delays for one year a cut in Medicare pay to doctors.

The 25 percent reduction in physician payments had been scheduled to kick in Jan. 1, potentially disrupting care for the nation's seniors.

Delaying...

Rural South Dakota hospitals get technology grants

2010-12-10T10:00:20Z

20 rural hospitals in South Dakota getting technology grants through federal Medicare program

Twenty rural South Dakota hospitals are getting a total of nearly $236,000 in grants for technology projects, from medication dispensing systems to digital fetal monitors.

Secretary of Health Doneen Hollingsworth announced the grants Friday. The money...

House vote delays cut in Medicare pay for doctors

2010-12-09T11:30:15Z

House joins Senate in approving deal in delay cut in Medicare pay for doctors for a year

The House has passed and sent to President Barack Obama a bill to delay for a year an impending sharp cut in Medicare pay to doctors that threatened to disrupt care for the nation's seniors.

The action to prevent a scheduled 25 percent cut to doctors on Ja...

Senate acts to stop Medicare doctors pay cut

2010-12-08T16:30:35Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday agreed to avert a 25 percent pay cut for doctors treating patients covered by the Medicare health program for the elderly.

On a voice vote, the Senate approved a one-year "fix" to the doctor's payment formula that would stop a scheduled cut in physicians pay in January that advocates for the elderl...

Deficit a Wake-up Call for Washington

2010-12-07T11:30:26Z

Will Washington have the courage to truly tackle the deficit?

Bold action to tackle the deficit in the next couple of years doesn’t appear likely, despite pledges by veteran lawmakers in both parties, the Obama administration and incoming freshmen in Congress to ...

Lawmakers near deal on doctors' Medicare payments

2010-12-06T15:00:37Z

Lawmakers close to a deal on ensuring Medicare payments to doctors

Congressional officials say top lawmakers are close to an agreement on a one-year bill to shield doctors from a large cut in Medicare payments.

The agreement would mean the current set of fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients would remain in place through the end of 2011.

Without action by Congress, doctors would face a cut of about...

Report: Medicare paid millions for stent implants

2010-12-06T13:01:00Z

Md. doctor accused of putting unnecessary stents in patients, costing Medicare millions

A Senate investigation found that Medicare spent millions of dollars for stents implanted by a Maryland doctor accused of putting them in patients who didn't need them, according to a report released Monday.

The investigation also found that the doctor was treated to an elaborate crab feast and barbecue by

Cash In on New Health-Care Rules

2010-12-06T11:30:32Z

First, get the most out of your flexible spending account in the new year.

Although most of the health-care-reform law's changes won't take effect until 2014, new rules that start on January 1 expand who is eligible for health-insurance coverage, restrict which costs qualify for flexible spending account reimbursement, and open the door to free preventive care.

Enlist your doct...

ON MEDICARE? TRY THE NEXT OFFICE Many doctors are dropping out of the federally funded health care insurance program, saying they can't afford cuts in reimbursement THE CUTS A 23 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement was supposedto kick in Wednesday, but C

2010-12-03T12:01:40Z

Many doctors are dropping out of the federally funded health care insurance program, saying they can't afford cuts in reimbursement

¶Inaction in Washington is causing Nevada doctors to turn away Medicare patients.

Congressional leaders have failed to set reimbursement rates for doctors who treat patients covered by the federal insurance...

Congress puts off cuts to doctor Medicare payments

2010-11-29T12:01:02Z

Congress agrees to short-term postponement to doctor Medicare payments

Congress has agreed to a one-month delay in Medicare payment cuts to doctors, giving a short-term reprieve to a looming crisis over treatment of the nation's elderly.

The House approved the Senate-passed bill that postpones a 23 percent cut in doctors' pay that had been scheduled to take effect Dec. 1. That gives lawmakers a month to come up...

Medicare physician pay cut gets monthlong delay from Congress

2010-11-30T12:37:08Z

...

MEDICARE POLL

2010-12-30T01:00:26Z

Graphic shows poll results on public opinion about Medicare

...

Medicare and the Boomers

2010-12-29T08:01:23Z

Fred Wemer stands outside his home in Seattle, in this photo taken Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. Wermer is a retired dentist and says Medicare pays his medical bills well enough, but he thinks there's a lot of waste in the program and doubts it will be there for his grandchildren. He opposes turning Medicare into a voucher plan for the purchase of private in...

Medicare Cuts

2010-11-12T14:03:03Z

Information relating to Medicare is seen at the offices of Dr. Kathryn Wagner, a breast cancer surgeon, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, in San Antonio. Wagner has posted the warning in her waiting room about a different sort of risk to patients' health. The sign says she'll stop taking new Medicare cases if Congress allows looming cuts in doc...

Medicare Sleuths

2010-08-08T02:00:13Z

FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2009, file photo the Senate Finance Committee's ranking Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wears two pairs of glasses while reading during the committee's hearing regarding health care reform on Capitol Hill in Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, left, accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, center, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, speaks about the Social Security and Medicare Trustees report, Thursday, A...

News on Medicare

Republican Ryan backs new bipartisan Medicare Plan

Medicare to cover obesity counseling, screening

Medicare chief to resign after political standoff

Deficit battle won't cause fight between old and young