Economy Likely to Move Up Medicare's Insolvency

Over the past year, Leavitt has frequently talked about Medicare drifting toward a financial disaster. He said Congress will be forced to take action by raising taxes, cutting benefits to seniors or reducing payment rates for health care providers. But those changes can be less severe the sooner that Congress acts.

A new study suggests that Medicare part D may not be the boon for seniors that many hoped.

(ABC News Photo Illustration)

"The more you anticipate the problem, the better chance you have of averting disaster," he said. "That's why the trustees here are frantically trying to get people's attention to say you have to start now."

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