Dr. Donald M. Berwick, the new chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was appointed two weeks ago and the appointment is still receiving criticism. The appointment was made by President Barack Obama while Congress was away on recess.
There has yet to be a confirmation hearing for Dr. Berwick and it is likely there won"t be a confirmation hearing held as Democrats in the Senate has yet to put one together.
Since his appointment, Dr. Berwick has not made any public comments and the White House has declined interviews for him — leaving Americans with few ideas for what he plans to do for the future of Medicare and Medicaid.
The appointment of Dr. Berwick is critical to the implementation of health care reform. But since he was appointed during the recess, he will only have the new position 18 months without confirmation from the Congress according to The New York Times.
Senator Orrin G. Hatch said, “Dr. Berwick has a great reputation as a pediatrician, but he"s made some of the most outlandish statements I"ve heard in years. The Democrats" decision not to go through the regular confirmation process, when they have 59 votes in the Senate, shows they are afraid of his philosophy being displayed to the public.”
Dr. Berwick is known for his praise in the British national health care system. Surprisingly, there has been recent news that Britain is considering decentralizing their health care system because the costs are too high and the waiting periods for care are too long.
As Dr. Berwick waits to make public announcements and his confirmation hearing continues to stall, the backlash and criticism will continue to fall out. He will be financing the health care for one in three Americans and Americans deserve to know who is representing their health care.