Obama Says Yes To Doctor No

Dear Policy Patriots -

It's Official: President Obama's Pick to Run Medicare and Medicaid Believes in Rationing and Loves Britain's National Health Service (NHS)! Trampling on the Senate's constitutional prerogative to approve presidential appointments, last week President Obama appointed Dr. Donald Berwick as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) during a two-week Congressional recess.

Even members of the president's own party are irate over his actions. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus (D-MT) said in response, "Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power and protects...Americans by ensuring that crucial questions are asked of the nominee."

Dr. No. In his own words, Dr. Berwick believes in such widely unpopular health policy proposals as rationing care, limiting access and using health policy as a form of income redistribution. Members of Congress and the American people wanted the opportunity to find out if Dr. Berwick really was the right man for the job. For instance, here's what Berwick has said:

On rationing: "The decision is not whether or not we will ration care, the decision is whether we will ration with...eyes open."
On redistribution of wealth: "Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistributional."
On Britain's government-run health care system: "I am a romantic about the National Health Service. I love it."
On personal choice: "The primary functions [of health regulation is] to constrain individual decision making [and] weigh public welfare against the choices of private consumers."
On reducing use of medicine: "80 percent of hysterectomies are scientifically unnecessary...[as are] most ultrasounds...and half of Caesarean sections."
On life-sustaining procedures: "Only a minority of patients, families and clinicians support prolonged use of life-sustaining procedures and dramatic interventions in the terminal states of illness."
On the free market: "Don't trust market forces, trust leaders with plans."

Berwick represents very real cause for concern for older Americans. Said Pat Boone, national spokesperson for the 60 Plus Association, "Berwick is the kiss of death for old folks."

Bottom line: The Obama administration breached constitutional protocol in order to shield Dr. Berwick from reasonable, constitutional inquiry by their elected officials that the American people deserve. Once again, the administration has forced change on the American people, whether they wanted it or not.

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Warm regards,

Jeanette Nordstrom
National Center for Policy Analysis
www.ncpa.org