Reimbursement
The Medicare trust fund will be exhausted by 2017, two years earlier than originally projected, according to the annual report by Medicare Trustees.
Between 2003 and 2008, Medicaid physician fees rose 15.1 percent, closing a portion of the gap with Medicare physician payment rates, according to a study by researchers from the Urban Institute.
Medicare programs designed to boost the care of chronically ill patients while reducing hospital admissions and saving costs have largely failed, a new government-contracted study concludes.