How changes in Medicare affect patients

The major goal of the new Medicare law was to block a scheduled cut in fees paid to doctors, but there's also plenty in the law that directly affects Medicare patients. Participants in Medicare will have lower out-of-pocket costs for mental-health services, and some widely used anti-anxiety and sleep drugs that Medicare previously didn't pay for will be covered. The law also aims to boost preventive healthcare, including making it easier and cheaper for new Medicare participants to get a physical checkup. But there also are cutbacks.