Last week, the Bush administration released a proposal to
raise the Medicare premiums for wealthy Americans enrolled in the prescription drug program;
reform medical liability laws; and
introduce "value-based health care" measures to improve Medicare efficiency.
The proposal was issued in compliance with the "trigger" provision of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. This provision states that the President must present a plan when, for two consecutive years, the Medicare program's trustees estimate that funds taken from general revenues will exceed… more