Bill with billions in health plan cuts passes House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would shave billions of dollars in reimbursement from health plans that contract with the federal Medicare program.

Payment would be cut to health insurers such as Aetna Inc and Humana Inc under the bill sponsored by Democrats Charles Rangel of New York and John Dingell of Michigan.

U.S. lawmakers face a June 30 deadline to pass legislation blocking a scheduled 11 percent pay cut for Medicare doctors. Cuts to the private plans would help keep the doctors' payments intact.

In the Senate, Republicans and Democrats are working on a compromise that could be announced as early as Tuesday afternoon. Other Medicare providers that are likely to be affected include oxygen companies such as Apria Healthcare and wheelchair makers like Invacare Corp.

(Reporting by Kim Dixon; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)