President Bush presented his FY 2009 budget on Feb. 4, which included provisions to reduce Medicare spending by $6 billion in FY2009 and by $91 billion over 5 years.
The budget also sought to reduce Medicaid spending by $1.2 billion in FY2009 and $14 billion over 5 years.
To accomplish this, the budget proposes a freeze in Medicare nursing home rates for FY 2009, as well as freeze home health rates at the current rates until 2013.