More than 85 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program.

About 88 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are in the fee-for-service program, which allows patients to go to any doctor or hospital.

If such negotiations failed, he said, the government would offer drug coverage under Medicare's original fee-for-service program.

There would be no extra premium for the drug coverage offered to people in the fee-for-service program, administration officials said.

Until now Medicare has provided little financial incentive for choosing a particular doctor or hospital in its fee-for-service program.

The fee-for-service program already covers doctors' services and hospital care.

Those people are usually covered directly by fee-for-service federal and state programs.

President Bush has proposed modest drug benefits in the traditional fee-for-service program, which allows people to use any doctor or hospital.

Half the money would be used to provide additional benefits like preventive services and disease management in the fee-for-service program.

About 85 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are in the fee-for-service program.

More than 85 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program.

About 88 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are in the fee-for-service program, which allows patients to go to any doctor or hospital.

If such negotiations failed, he said, the government would offer drug coverage under Medicare's original fee-for-service program.

There would be no extra premium for the drug coverage offered to people in the fee-for-service program, administration officials said.

Until now Medicare has provided little financial incentive for choosing a particular doctor or hospital in its fee-for-service program.

The fee-for-service program already covers doctors' services and hospital care.

Those people are usually covered directly by fee-for-service federal and state programs.

President Bush has proposed modest drug benefits in the traditional fee-for-service program, which allows people to use any doctor or hospital.

Half the money would be used to provide additional benefits like preventive services and disease management in the fee-for-service program.

About 85 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are in the fee-for-service program.