Some GOP Sens. Plan Campaign To Oppose CMS Nominee Berwick

Senate Republicans are increasing their opposition to President Obama's nominee for CMS administrator, Donald Berwick, and developing a campaign against him over what they claim is his support for rationing health care, CQ Today reports. According to CQ Today, Berwick is "widely regarded as an innovator in improving health care quality, but Republicans see his views as controversial" (Reichard, CQ Today, 4/21).

Berwick is a Harvard University professor and president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. If confirmed, he would lead the implementation of many of the health reform law's broad changes, including expanding Medicaid and controlling Medicare costs (Women's Health Policy Report, 4/20). The Senate Finance Committee will oversee Berwick's confirmation hearing, but no date has been set.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on Wednesday said Berwick "has a history of support for government rationing of health care resources, … [n]ot on the grounds of quality, not on the grounds of survivability, but on the grounds of cost." Senate Finance Committee member Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said that he likely will not support Berwick's nomination. Roberts said that Berwick "wrote two books on rationing" and helped the British implement their National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, which Roberts called an "acronym for their rationing system."

The Republican Policy Committee on Tuesday released a statement suggesting that U.S. residents might find Berwick's "desire to 'learn from and adapt' the British rationing system as troubling" and "indicative of Democrats’ government takeover of health care," according to CQ Today.

White House spokesperson Reid Cherlin said that "no one is surprised that Republicans plan to use this confirmation process to trot out the same arguments and scare tactics they hoped would block health insurance reform." He added, "The president is looking forward to [Berwick's] confirmation" (CQ Today, 4/21).


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