Donald Berwick recess appointment denies GOP political points

Wednesday, Donald Berwick was appointed by President Obama to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) while Congress is in recess. Berwick’s recess appointment means that politicians were deprived of an possibility to weigh in once more on the health care reform bill that passed earlier this year. The administration says the recess appointment of Berwick helps move heath care reform along without any kind of Republican obstruction. Republicans think it is just an attempt at hurting 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.

Source of article: Donald Berwick recess appointment denies GOP political points by Personal Money Store

Medicare overhaul lead by Donald Berwick
Donald Berwick’s recess appointment happened as the White House said the new health care reform law calls for a lot of new changes in Medicare and Medicaid, which insure nearly one-third of all Americans. Dan Pfeiffer, who’s the White House communications director, told 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.”

Berwick backed by Bush appointees

Donald Berwick was nominated in April to lead the CMS. Since October 2006, the agency didn't have a permanent administrator. It was reported by the Washington Post that Berwick is the ideal choice to oversee a Medicare/Medicaid 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 that were 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.

Bypassed is republican obstruction

Despite his credentials, Republicans are preparing use Donald Berwick’s nomination to whip up partisan furor over “Obamacare.” According to the Associated Press, 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 got Republican fury for praising Britain’s National Health Service.

Revisited is health care rationing

The Post reports that consist of Pat Roberts of Kansas are trying to change 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 said 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.

Find more info 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