Medicare Advantage plans targeted in new bill

A bill sponsored by Montana Sen. Max Baucus, Democratic head of the committee, would cut payments to private plans, as well as other health companies, by at least $12 billion. As part of the proposal, payments to health insurers such as Aetna, Inc. and Humana, Inc., which contract with the government Medicare program, would be trimmed under competing plans offered by the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. Lawmakers continue to debate the proposed bill.