Donald Berwick was appointed by President Obama to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) when Congress is in recess. Berwick’s recess appointment means that politicians have been deprived of an chance to weigh in once more on the health care reform bill that passed earlier this year. The administration explains that the recess appointment of Berwick helps move heath care reform along without Republican obstruction. Republicans think it is an attempt to hurt Berwick’s record. Berwick, a professor at Harvard Medical School is being vilified by Republicans despite the fact that he has the support of the entire health care industry behind him.
Medicare overhaul could be lead by Donald Berwick
Donald Berwick’s recess appointment happened because the White House said the new health care reform law calls for huge changes in Medicare and Medicaid, which insure nearly one-third of all Americans. Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, explained to the New York Times that the president decided to act because “many Republicans in Congress have made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.”
Bush appointees back Berwick
Donald Berwick was nominated in April to lead the CMS. Since October 2006, the agency didn’t have a permanent administrator. The Washington Post explained that Berwick is the perfect choice to oversee a Medicare/Medicaid spending budget of $800 billion — about one-third of all health-care spending. He is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on improving health care quality while saving money. Two CMS administrators appointed by George W. Bush back the nomination, also as the American Hospital Association, the AARP, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and also a list of local medical groups.
Republican obstruction bypassed
Despite his credentials, Republicans want to use Donald Berwick’s nomination to whip up partisan furor over “Obamacare.” It was reported by the Associated Press that Republicans, who use “rationing” as a code word to discredit health care reform, have seized on comments like one Berwick made to an interviewer last year: “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care, the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open. And right now, we are doing it blindly.” Berwick also drew Republican ire for praising Britain’s National Health Service.
Rationing health care revisited
The Post reports that consist of Pat Roberts of Kansas are trying to twist these statements. ”Dr. Berwick is the perfect nominee for a president whose aim has always been to conserve money by rationing health care,” Mr. Roberts explained on the Senate floor last month. The Associated Press article explained when it comes to the rationing issue; Republicans argue that Berwick would deny needed care depending on cost. Supporters contend rationing already is done by insurance companies, and Berwick wants transparency and accountability in medical decisions.
Discover more data here:
New York Times
thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/obama-bypassing-congress-on-medicare-job/
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062804675.html
Associated Press
hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_HEALTH_CARE_APPOINTMENT?SITE=WNYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
