Federal officials said the new coverage decision could increase Medicare spending by several billion dollars a year.

Savings $270 billion over seven years, or 14 percent of Medicare spending.

They say such competition would help slow the growth of Medicare spending.

Medicare spending on home care soared in the early 1990's.

But it does expect to cut the rate of growth in Medicare spending by $263 billion over 10 years.

That represents less than 1.5 percent of total Medicare spending in those years.

Medicare spending declined last year by nearly 1 percent, to $209 billion.

Under my budget, Medicare spending will increase by more than $21 billion in 2002.

We're going to increase Medicare spending by 39 percent under our plan.

In the last decade, Medicare spending rose by an average of $12.8 billion, or 10 percent, a year.