Medicare bill affects participants, docs

WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- The new Medicare law that was passed over U.S. President George Bush's veto contains "important changes" for participants, analysts said.

Participants in the federal insurance program for the elderly and disabled can expect lower out-of-pocket expenses for mental health services and coverage for anti-anxiety and sleep aids Medicare previously didn't cover, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The law also makes it easier and less expensive for participants to get a physical examination.

Most of the changes to the law, which also blocked a scheduled cut in fees paid to doctors, will be phased in during the next several years, the Journal said.

However, consumers who used certain private insurance plans sold as Medicare Advantage could face tougher restrictions on which doctors they can see. Also, the bill urges doctors to begin sending prescriptions to pharmacies electronically, instead of writing out prescription by hand.

"There are some important changes in here," Kirsten Sloan, an official with AARP, the lobbying group for people age 50 and over, told the Journal. "It's meaningful."

The Medicare bill carries a $20 billion price tag spread over five years.