Aid to medicare.

A couple of local companies are among the winners of a series of government contracts worth as much as $4 billion in total.

Los Angeles defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. and El Segundo information technology company Computer Sciences Corp. are among 16 companies that will help upgrade the computer system for the agency that runs Medicare. Details of the contracts were not disclosed.

Staff reporter Richard Clough can be reached at [phone], ext. 251, or at [e-mail].