Medicare Official Cites Cost Warning By Amy Goldstein, Washington Post

The Medicare program’s chief actuary told lawmakers yesterday he gave analyses last June to the White House and the president’s budget office — which were not shared with Congress — predicting that prescription drug benefits being drafted on Capitol Hill would cost about $150 billion more than President Bush said he wanted to spend.

Richard S. Foster made the disclosure during his first appearance on Capitol Hill since he confirmed two weeks ago that administration officials threatened to fire him if he directly provided lawmakers with his cost estimates on the changes to Medicare, which were among Bush’s top domestic priorities.