Health Care Groups to Congress: Restrict Funding of Office of Medicare Chief Who Advocated Rationing

A coalition of health care groups is urging Congress to withhold money from the new health care law for the office of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, headed by the controversial Dr. Donald Berwick, as a means to compel Berwick, who bypassed the Senate confirmation process through a recess appointment, to at least answer some basic questions about his health policy views. Marking three months since President Barack Obama recess-appointed Berwick to be administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), six groups sent a letter to members of Congress about Berwick, who has openly advocated the rationing of health care and argued that “humane” health care funding “must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate.” “On this three month anniversary of the Obama administration’s arrogance in recess appointing Berwick and preventing him from appearing before Congress, lawmakers should commit to withholding the funding for his office to implement ObamaCare, effectively tying his hands until he provides the proper transparency that the American people deserve,” the letter said.