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 are deprived of an possibility to weigh in once more on the health care reform bill that passed earlier this year. The administration explains the recess appointment of Berwick helps move heath care reform along without Republican obstruction. Republicans say it is a devious attempt to obscure Berwick’s record. Berwick, a professor at Harvard Medical School is being vilified by Republicans although he has the support of the entire health care industry behind him.
Donald Berwick to lead Medicare overhaul
Donald Berwick’s recess appointment happened because the White House thinks 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 to lead CMS in April. The agency didn’t have a permanent administrator since October of 2006. . 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 a long list of local medical groups.
Immediately bypassed is the republican obstruction
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 anger for praising Britain’s National Health Service.
Revisited is health care rationing
The Post that has some 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 save money by rationing health care,” Mr. Roberts stated 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 based on cost. Supporters assert rationing is done by insurance companies, and Berwick wants transparency and accountability in medical decisions.
Citations:
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
