31.   In New York, Gov. George Pataki has proposed slashing the size of those federal payments year by year as the five-year limit approaches for families.

32.   In some cases, homeowners relying on federal payments may have to wait a year or longer for their checks.

33.   In one of his first officials acts on Monday, Bush ordered a halt to federal payments to international organizations that support abortions or abortion counseling overseas.

34.   In the end, that could save money for federal payment systems like Medicare, as efforts to clean up billing errors and improprieties sweep across the industry.

35.   In the last two years, many HMOs have withdrawn from Medicare or curtailed their participation, saying federal payments were inadequate.

36.   Indian Health Service contractors in Alaska could be in trouble as federal payments are delayed due to the backlog from the federal government shutdown.

37.   In theory, all businesses that start to receive federal payments are also required to take them electronically.

38.   Insurers that offer Medicare HMOs say the key problem is inadequate federal payment for benefits.