House votes to override Bush Medicare veto

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to override President George W. Bush's veto of a Medicare bill that would cancel a scheduled 11 percent pay cut to doctors who treat patients in the health care program for the elderly.

The House voted 383-41 to overturn Bush's action, just hours after he vetoed the legislation. The Senate also was expected to override the veto later on Tuesday.

Under the bill, the costs to the government of canceling the doctor pay cut would be offset with about $13 billion in reimbursement reductions to insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Aetna Inc., which contract with the Medicare program.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, editing by David Alexander)