darren gersh reports. >> reporter: pfizer's long list of payments are an example of what many analystsave long argued: the drug industry has extensive financial ties with the doctors who prescribe its products. while doctors do need to work on drug research and development, the pew prescription project's allan coukell says other payments raise serious ethical concerns. >> there are a lot of doctors who are out there giving speeches which are essentially promotional. they are functioning as a marketing arm of the companies, and we just think that has the potential to influence prescribing and isn't consistent with evidence-based medicine that's guided by good science. >> reporter: of the $35 million pfizer paid doctors in the last six months of last year, $15 million went to research. $17 million to doctor speaking fees and consulting. about $2.5 million to meals and business travel. altogether, pfizer made payments to 4,500 doctors and health professionals. dr. freda lewis-hall, pfizer's chief medical officer, says the company needs to pay doctors to help develop new drugs. >> we're wo

but as darren gersh reports, the new program will help just a fraction of them. >> reporter: from the beginning of the housing crisis, the government has been reluctant to give a big break to homeowners who are underwater, meaning they owe a lot more on their home than it's worth. write-downs are expensive and, the administration argues, can be seen as unfair to homeowners who are keeping up with their mortgages. now that policy has shifted, a recognition, says consumer advocate julia gordon, that previous efforts to stem foreclosures haven't been getting the job done. >> the big thing that has changed is that the government has realized what a deep hole the housing market is in and we need to reduce principal balances if we have any hope of alleviating this problem. >> reporter: under the new approach, the treasury will require lenders to consider reducing an eligible borrower's mortgage to 115% of the current value of the home. as an incentive, the treasury will pay lenders 10 to 20 cents for every dollar the mortgage is reduced. the government is also encouraging homeowners who are