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The House voted not to act this year on legislation to reduce Medicare spending.

It voted late last week to approve resolution 1368 that prevents it from having to act to cut program spending. Under a provision in the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, Congress has to reduce Medicare spending if more than 45% of the program’s funding is expected to come from the general fund for two years in a row. It is known as the Medicare trigger. The House needed the resolution to address the trigger. Trustees issued a warning about runaway spending earlier this year.

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt disagreed with the move. “Parliamentary sleight of hand will do nothing to resolve the enormous financial challenges presented by Medicare in the future,” he said in a statement.