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Health experts warn that the Medicare system is so intertwined with the Affordable Care Act that if the Supreme Court strikes the law down, "it takes everything with it."

The release of the Social Security and Medicare reports became an opportunity for Treasury Secretary Geithner to send voters the message that Obama administration was a staunch defender of the nation's most popular entitlements even though it accepted the need for gradual changes to make the programs more sustainable.

Falling into the "doughnut hole" of Medicare drug coverage led people to stop taking medicines for heart conditions more often than to search for cheaper alternatives, an analysis finds. The discontinuations didn't appear to affect health, but the researchers cautioned their study was relatively short.

The budget, likely to die in the Senate, was crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan and also includes an overhaul of the tax system.

The Republican presidential candidate has hammered President Obama's health care law for cutting $500 billion out of Medicare. He has also endorsed Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan, which cuts the same amount out of the program.

Democrats were quick to attack House Republicans' budget plan, which calls for an overhaul of the program. Leading the charge is Vice President Joe Biden, who told senior citizens in Florida not to be fooled. Republicans, though, see the proposal as necessary for the next generation.

The House is expected to pass a bill that would eliminate a board that is charged with reining in Medicare spending. But Democrats generally oppose the change, and President Obama has promised to veto the legislation if it ever gets that far.

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan releases the House GOP budget Tuesday, likely including a proposal to restructure Medicare. That idea brought much criticism from Democrats and advocates for the elderly when Ryan pushed it least year.

Now that he's 65, Romney is eligible for Medicare. But he does not want the coverage. If he changes his mind and signs up later, he may have to pay a penalty.

During the first six months of 2011, 1 in 3 people lived in a family that had trouble paying its medical bills within the previous year; was currently paying a medical bill over time; or currently had a medical bill the family was unable to pay at all. That's according to a new government survey.