NATION IN BRIEF : NATIONWIDE : Medicare Glitch Hits Elderly, Report Says

A glitch in Medicare law is forcing the elderly to pay more for outpatient treatment at hospitals, The New York Times reported. Beneficiaries normally pay 20% of a set, Medicare-approved fee for a given treatment. The new Medicare handbook distributed to all beneficiaries in May, however, explains that for outpatient services, recipients must pay “20% of whatever the hospital charges, not 20% of a Medicare-approved amount.”