By a vote of 53 to 41, the Senate on Saturday rejected a Republican effort to block cutbacks in payments to home health agencies that provide nursing care and therapy to homebound Medicare beneficiaries. Republicans voted against the cuts, saying they would hurt some of the nation's most vulnerable citizens. Most Democrats supported the cutbacks, saying they would eliminate waste and inefficiency in home care, the New York Times reports. The Democrats' healthcare bill would reduce projected Medicare spending on home care by $43 billion, or 13%, over the next 10 years. The savings would help offset the cost of subsidizing coverage for the uninsured.
