Apr 30, 2013 — Senator Charles Schumer will be at Samaritan Hospital in Watertown Tuesday, pushing for changes to the Medicare law. He says elderly patients are being charged unfairly for nursing home care and prescription drugs after being hospitalized.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Feb 28, 2013 — With just three weeks and one day to go before a state budget deadline, Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders met to assess how far they have to go to reach a deal.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Sep 19, 2012 — UPDATE: After this story was published on Wednesday morning, Matt Doheny released his ideas for changes to Medicare. Those can be found at
his website.

NCPR requested another interview with Doheny, now that his policy has been made public. His campaign responded, "No."
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Medicare has become a central issue in Senate and Congressional races this year, especially since Republican Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Medicare covers more than 40 million seniors, and nearly 9 million people with disabilities nationwide.

Paul Ryan is head of the House Budget Committee, and wrote a plan to dramatically restructure the program. President Obama's health care law also makes big changes to it.

In the 21st District Congressional race, political ads on both sides have focused on the issue. But parsing the truth from campaign rhetoric can take a fine-toothed comb--especially because Republican candidate Matt Doheny still refuses to talk about Medicare.  Go to full article

Massena, NY, Aug 24, 2012 — Senior citizens vote at higher rates than the rest of the population. So they'll be key to the eventual winner of the North Country's 21st Congressional district. And issues important to seniors, like health care law and Medicare, will take front stage until November.

Democrat Bill Owens' campaign has been ratcheting up the debate with Republican Matt Doheny on Medicare. Owens himself reached out to senior citizens at the Seniorama expo yesterday in Massena.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Apr 15, 2011 — North Country Congressman Bill Owens lashed out at Republicans' plan to reduce the federal deficit while backing President Obama's. Speaking in a telephone town hall meeting Thursday, the Democrat from Plattsburgh attacked House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan's deficit reduction plan. Martha Foley reports.  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Jan 17, 2011 — Health care is likely to top the agenda of state and federal lawmakers in the coming weeks, as New York's new governor aims to reform the Medicaid system and Congress considers a measure to repeal last year's health care reform legislation.

Chris Morris sat down to talk about possible changes to the health care system with Chandler Ralph, head of Adirondack Medical Center.

Ralph says hospitals in the North Country want lawmakers to take a measured approach, and she opposes a wholesale scrapping of the Federal healthcare reform plan.  Go to full article

Mar 15, 2006 — President Bush used a western New York high school gym yesterday as the setting to defend Medicare's new prescription drug benefit plan. Martha Foley reports.  Go to full article

Nov 24, 2003 — Seniors, and some aging Baby Boomers, ripped up their AARP membership cards during a protest at the federal building in Albany Friday. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

Nov 24, 2003 — North Country Congressman John McHugh says he's supporting the Medicare bill in Congress largely because of extra money it gives to rural hospitals. Martha Foley reports.  Go to full article

Mar 06, 2003 — Reacting to President Bush's Medicare Drug Plan unveiled earlier this week, Senator Chuck Schumer held a press conference to detail a package of legislation that would help reduce the price of prescription durgs. Jody Tosti has more.  Go to full article