<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>washingtonpost.com - Medicare</title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/specials/fiscal/medicare?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><description>Medicare</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>15</ttl><image><title>washingtonpost.com</title><width>140</width><height>20</height><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com</link><url>http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[Rising Medical Costs Worry Pentagon, Hill]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7683-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7683-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ Confronting medical costs that have doubled in four years, military officials and congressional leaders said yesterday that the Pentagon needs to rethink the generous coverage it provides or risk making sacrifices in other areas of the Defense Department budget.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Disparities Cited for Medicare Drug Benefit]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64015-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64015-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The prescription drug benefit available next year will cost senior citizens an average of $722 annually, but retirees with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can expect to pay about double that amount and face gaps in their coverage, a new study finds.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Md. Top Medicare Official Is Placed on Leave]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37880-2005Apr8.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37880-2005Apr8.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The state Board of Physicians accused Sean R. Tunis of unprofessional conduct and making false statements about his credentials.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Medicare Monthly Premium to Rise]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16947-2005Mar31.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16947-2005Mar31.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Medicare payments to physicians jumped 15 percent last year, prompting officials to announce that premiums will rise to $89.20 in '06.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Report Emphasizes Shortfall in Medicare]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59227-2005Mar23.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59227-2005Mar23.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The independent trustees overseeing Social Security and Medicare, in a break with the Bush administration, say Medicare is in greater financial distress than Social Security and said the health care program is in urgent need of attention.]]></description><author> Jonathan Weisman</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Greenspan Warns of Economic Stagnation]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A543-2005Mar2.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A543-2005Mar2.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Federal Reserve Chairman Wednesday urged Congress to act soon to reduce future Social Security and Medicare benefits, warning that growing federal budget deficits threaten to cause economic "stagnation" in coming decades.]]></description><author> Nell Henderson</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Officials Defend Cost of Medicare Drug Benefit]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30590-2005Feb16.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30590-2005Feb16.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Two top administration officials Wednesday rebutted claims that costs could be lowered if President Bush would allow drug importation and permit the government to negotiate with drugmakers on behalf of senior citizens.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[After Bush Leaves Office, Budget's Costs Balloon]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21721-2005Feb13.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21721-2005Feb13.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[For the senators and governors already jockeying to succeed President Bush, the numbers released add up to a budgetary landmine that could blow up just as the next president moves into the Oval Office.]]></description><author> Jonathan Weisman  and Peter Baker</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[President Vows to Veto Any Medicare Changes]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16857-2005Feb11.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16857-2005Feb11.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Bush warned Congress Friday not to reopen the landmark legislation he pushed through in his first term, even as new financial forecasts show the cost soaring over the next decade.]]></description><author> Peter Baker and Mike Allen</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Democrats Call for Medicare Drug Inquiry]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12118-2005Feb9.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12118-2005Feb9.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Democratic lawmakers seized on news that the Medicare prescription drug benefit will cost much more than first projected, blasting the Bush administration and saying it cannot be trusted to acknowledge the likely costs of its priorities, including revisions to Social Security.]]></description><author> Charles Babington  and Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Medicare Drug Benefit May Cost $1.2 Trillion]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The projections -- a much higher price tag than President Bush suggested when he narrowly won passage of the law in late 2003 -- represent the most complete picture to date of how much the program will cost after it begins next year.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly and Mike Allen</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bush Promotes Health Savings Accounts]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39782-2005Jan26.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39782-2005Jan26.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[President Bush laid out a plan Wednesday for reducing the nation's spiraling health care costs, proposing tax credits to encourage expansion of health savings accounts and calling for allowing small businesses to pool together for health coverage across state lines.]]></description><author> Michael A. Fletcher</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Millions to Be Automatically Enrolled in Medicare Drug Plan]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27840-2005Jan21.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27840-2005Jan21.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ After a lackluster response to its Medicare drug discount card, the Bush administration announced yesterday that it will automatically enroll millions of low-income seniors in the full drug benefit program when registration begins next fall.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Medicare to Cover Cardiac Device]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22075-2005Jan19.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22075-2005Jan19.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In what could be the most expensive decision in Medicare's history, officials say the government has decided to expand coverage of implanted heart-shocking devices for people with weakened hearts.]]></description><author> Rick Weiss</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kennedy Exhorts Democrats on Social Programs]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3936-2005Jan12.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3936-2005Jan12.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Democrats not only must stick to their principles despite recent election setbacks, but they should also push to expand signature programs such as Medicare, paid family leave and tuition aid, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said in a speech Wednesday.]]></description><author> Charles Babington</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[In GOP,  Resistance on Social Security Plan]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64196-2005Jan10.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64196-2005Jan10.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Many Republicans are expressing reservations about the political wisdom of President Bush's vision for restructuring Social Security as the White House intensifies its campaign to restructure the entitlement program for the retired and disabled.]]></description><author> Jim VandeHei  and Mike Allen</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Three Ounces  Of Prevention]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45500-2005Jan3.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45500-2005Jan3.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[A "Welcome to Medicare" physical, diabetes screening and cholesterol screening aimed at catching common problems early are new benefits that will kick in this week.]]></description><author> Lisa Barrett Mann</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[U.S. to Purchase German Flu Vaccine]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43296-2004Dec7.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43296-2004Dec7.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Bush administration said it would buy 1.2 million doses to ease this year's shortage, but also missed a deadline for a report to Congress on obtaining cheaper drugs abroad.]]></description><author> Ceci Connolly</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Congress Is Losing  Leaders and Unifiers]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A820-2004Nov20.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A820-2004Nov20.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[More than four dozen House and Senate members are leaving Congress, including both party leaders and dealmakers who sought common ground that would bride crippling partisan differences.]]></description><author> Helen Dewar  and Eric Pianin</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Social Security Payments to Increase]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46622-2004Oct19.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46622-2004Oct19.html?nav=rss_politics/specials/fiscal/medicare</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2005 12:18:06 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[For senior citizens enrolled in Medicare, nearly half the 2.7 percent increase will be consumed by rising health insurance premiums, making this "good and bad news," according to the chief executive of the largest advocacy group for retirees.]]></description><author> Nell Henderson</author></item></channel></rss>