Congress is stalled over budget talks and how much money will be spent on Medicare and Medicaid in

Congress is stalled over budget talks and how much money will be spent on Medicare and Medicaid in the future. The Republican Congress wants to cut back the growth of the two health programs to help balance the budget by 2002. But, so far, Congress and President Clinton haven`t reached an agreement on how to do it. Any changes could affect how senior citizens get their health care through Medicare. The Republicans in Congress hope to encourage more seniors to move into Health Maintenance Organizations or managed-care networks. They also want to turn Medicaid over to the states and give them block grants to spend on programs for the poor as they see fit. No action is likely any time soon.

Judi Hasson

Washington Correspondent