Will Berwick Flip-flop During his Senate Hearing?

Dr. Donald Berwick, a leading proponent of rationing of medical care in the United States and a supporter of the British health care system, is prepared to testify before Congress for the first time since he recess appointment to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services.

Republicans have a constitutional obligation to get Berwick’s views on the record and appear ready to do so. Politico reports that Republicans will focus their questioning on five areas including his professed “love” of the British government-run health care system. Berwick has called the National Health Service – with its rationing of treatment and care – as “one of the greatest health care institutions in human history” and “a global treasure,” once saying that it set an “example” for the United States to follow.

Berwick’s support for rationing lead President Obama to bypass the Senate confirmation process to appoint Berwick to his post.

Not surprisingly, Berwick will argue that ObamaCare does not ration care but the evidence is compounding that is not the case. The FDA will soon decide whether breast cancer patients will be denied access to the last-stage cancer drug Avastin because of its cost. Perhaps more to the point, Berwick’s own department is considering whether to deny prostate cancer treatment Provenge because of its cost. See a pattern here?

As long as ObamaCare is the law of the land, the specter of rationing will be a real threat on the American people. The line in the sand has been drawn. Should the government begin to ration care because of the cost of the treatment, Americans will be denial cutting edge treatment that has made our system the envy of the world.

The Berwick testimony affords Republicans the opportunity to put a leading rationing proponent on record as to whether breast cancer patients and colon cancer patients should be denied critical care because of the cost of the treatment. That is the real battleline.