Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Dr. Donald Berwick and Chief Actuary Rick Foster testified before the Ways and Means Committee today to provide answers to pressing questions about the trillion dollar health care law. Dr. Berwick, having been in office eight months, had never testified before the Ways and Means Committee even though the committee oversees health care policy for the entire country. Chief Actuary Foster didn’t testify before the committee in the last Congress even though health care was being “debated.”
To put it in perspective two Obama Administration officials control a budget at CMS larger than the entire budget of the Department of Defense.
Play the videos or read the excerpts of CMS Director Berwick’s evasive responses followed by excerpts from Chief Actuary Foster’s testimony.
Dr. Berwick
What is your opinion on a rationing system and universal health care?
Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp: “Well, regarding the British National health service, you made a statement, and that is a service that is notorious for rationing care, you said and I quote ‘I fell in love with the NHS…to an American observer, the NHS is such a seductress.’ Are you still in love with the NHS?”
Dr. Berwick: “There are strengths and weaknesses for every health care system around the world.”
Chairman Camp: “Well you also wrote and I am quoting here, ‘I admit to my own devotion to a single-payer mechanism as the only sensible approach to health care finance I can think of.’ Do you still feel a government run single payer health care system is the only sensible approach?”
Dr. Berwick: “I am really excited by the promise the Affordable Health Care Act offers, Mr. Chairman, to American health care.”
Is there anything you would change to the Democrats’ Health Law?
Rep. Dave Reichert (WA): “Is there anything that stands out in your mind that you would change? What don’t you like about the bill, or is it all good?”
Dr. Berwick: “It is a very complicated bill sir.”
Can you keep the health care plan you have and like?
Rep. Tom Price (GA): “Is it true, if you like what you have you can keep it?”
Dr. Berwick: “I don’t understand your question…”
Rep. Price: “Because of this bill, there are Americans that have lost the coverage they want and in fact can’t have the coverage that they like.”
Dr. Berwick: “Dr. Price my answer is there is turnover always in what is available to beneficiaries.”
Rick Foster
Does health spending increase because of the Democrats’ new health law?
Chairman Camp: “In your expert analysis, would you say that their law increases or decreases national health expenditures?”
Mr. Foster: “We have estimated that overall, the national health expenditures would increase under the health reform act.”
Will the new health care law jeopardize seniors’ access to care?
Rep. Wally Herger (CA): “In an auxiliary report to the Medicare Trustees’ 2010 Report, CMS actuaries predicted that under the new health care law, by 2019, Medicare payment rates will be lower than current Medicaid rates. In your recent testimony before the House Budget Committee, you confirmed that the best case scenario under current law is that Medicare rates will be equal to Medicaid rates in 10 years. What impact would these rates have on beneficiaries’ access to care?”
Mr. Foster: “If Medicare payment rates become lower than the current level for Medicaid, which would in fact happen over time under the Affordable Care Act, then it raises questions about the ability of beneficiaries to have access to care.”
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