By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The future of Dr. Donald Berwick, the man put in charge of Medicare who supports rationing health care, is unable to gain the support he needs to be confirmed and may have to give up his position by the end of the year.
CNSNews.com is reporting that President Barack Obama claims to be standing “firmly” behind Berwick, whose appointment as head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was so controversial he had to bypass Congress with a temporary “recess” appointment, is still unable to gain the Congressional support he needs to continue in the job.
Berwick has publicly insisted that in order for a health care system to be just it must “redistribute wealth” and that the rationing of health care is necessary. He has also been an outspoken supporter of Britain’s national health care system which fully embraces rationing.
In a March 3 letter, Republican senators complained that they were denied the opportunity to ask Berwick a single question about his positions and have asked that he be removed from his post when it expires at the end of the year.
“As CMS now has the responsibility for restructuring insurance markets across the country, Dr. Berwick’s lack of experience in the areas of health plan operations and insurance regulation raise serious concerns about his qualifications for this position,” the letter said. “Furthermore, his past record of controversial statements, and general lack of experience managing an organization as large and complex as CMS should disqualify him being confirmed as the CMS Administrator.”
Withdrawing Dr. Berwick’s nomination “would be a positive first step in rebuilding the trust of the American people,” the letter says. “The occupant of this important position, which affects the health care of so many Americans on a daily basis, requires an individual with the appropriate experience and management ability. Our seniors and those who rely on Medicaid deserve no less.”
Almost every Republican in the Senate signed the letter except for Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rob Portman of Ohio.
The New York Times reported on March 7 that “Member of Congress, including Democrats, have urged the Obama administration to search for another Medicare chief after concluding that the Senate is unlikely to confirm President Obama’s temporary appointee, Dr. Donald Berwick.”
How much longer the president intends to stand “firmly” behind Berwick remains to be seen. The president does have the option to use the recess appointment strategy once again to keep him in the post.
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