Donald Berwick - The End Of Medicare?

It has become crystal clear why Obama used a backhanded recess appointment for Donald Berwick. Donald is Obama's choice to head Medicare/Medicaid, a post that has been vacant since 2006. This man would have faced his own words over and over if he had actually faced a Senate confirmation hearing.

Donald is a big believer in Socialized medicine. He has been singing its praises, along with criticizing the United States, capitalism, free markets, and earned income to anyone who would listen over the years. He actually has been recorded saying that redistribution of wealth is necessary for success. He has stated on the record multiple times that he believes in rationing healthcare, and the right of the government to decide who gets what treatments.

If these statements had become public during his confirmation hearings, not a single Republican would have voted for his confirmation, and a good amount of Democrats would have shied away from him as well.

Why is this important? Medicare and Medicaid are going to become the most important pieces of healthcare in the United States under Obamacare. The two programs are supposed to insure 30 million more people, while seeing their income slashed in order to make Obamacare 'deficit neutral' (which is an outright lie, by the way). This man will be in the most powerful position in Obamacare - the guy who decides how much money is spent on who, who is covered, how they are covered, what treatment is rationed, etc.

If you were scared of 'death panels' under Obamacare - this is the guy who actually thinks such panels are a good idea.





Update - the recordings and writings of Dr. Berwick that have come to light since his back room coronation have confirmed my fears, and lay out a clear indication of how this man will rule. And make no mistake - he will rule. He will be the King of Obamacare. He, and those he hires, will decide who gets healthcare, how much healthcare, who provides the healthcare, and how much is paid for the healthcare. This man is on record time and time again saying he believes that healthcare has to be rationed; that decisions about healthcare can only be made by the government - not the individual and not the doctor. This is frightening. Everyone in the healthcare industry in this country should be scared out of their wits - this man wants to tell you what kind of medicine you will practice, where you will practice it, and what you will provide to your patients.

Every citizen of this country is going to be impacted by this man. He will have more say in your lives than anyone short of Obama himself.

Now, I admire Dr. Berwick for one thing. He has not tried to hide any of this. He is very forthcoming about what he believes and what he will do. He's not trying to hide anything.

What is truly disturbing is that Obama purposely avoided Senate confirmation hearings for this man, because he knew that Dr. Berwick would be candid under questioning. There is no way he would have been confirmed had his stances come out.

As a Presidential appointee, he can't be gotten rid of by anyone but the President. So, we are stuck with this man until January of 2013, at least. What can happen is for the next Congress, under Republican control, to enact legislation stripping his office of power somehow.

Something's got to be done. The worst predictions about Obamacare are going to come true, even though the Liar-In-Chief assured us we were just paranoid obstructionists.