Republicans outline Medicare payment plan

The Republican leadership of the House of Representatives Wednesday outlined a plan to help Medicare recipients pay for very high drug costs and to provide poor senior and disabled citizens subsidies to purchase private insurance that covers drug costs.

The House plan involves enacting legislation that would encourage insurance companies to offer Medicare recipients policies that pay for prescription drugs. Under the plan, the federal government would reduce insurance providers' financial risks by paying 100 percent of the costs of prescription drugs after those costs exceed a specified ceiling. ...