In November 2003 the U.S. Congress passed a controversial health
policy bill that President George W. Bush signed into law. The new
legislation makes the most far-reaching changes to Medicare since the
program was created in 1965. Please address the following questions:

Why were changes to Medicare deemed necessary? 
What are the main provisions of the new legislation? Do you think they
accomplish the desired goals?
Who was involved in setting the agenda for this policy change? Discuss
the roles and interests of specific agenda setters and their influence
on the development of the legislation.
Why was the legislation controversial? Discuss the claims of the law's
supporters and detractors. Who will benefit from the changes?
Do you think having electronically stored data (such as costs and
access to individual patient files) played a role in the
decision-making process?