It’s no secret that Democrats aren’t always great at communicating their message to the public, especially when it comes to health care. Poll after poll has shown this. At the height of the health care debate, Americans remained confident in their work-sponsored health insurance, even though it’s being eroding and Democrats were …
medicare
The White House Doubles Down on Donald Berwick
Yesterday evening, the Obama Administration announced it was renominating Dr. Donald Berwick to be head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The White House formally nominated Berwick last year as well, but installed him via recess appointment to avoid a contentious Senate confirmation hearing. Berwick has been on the …
A White House Week One Cave-In
Back in October, I included this line in a blog post:
Political pressure and a seemingly paralyzing fear of bad headlines, however, appears to be guiding Administration policy this close to election day.
As if to prove the point, within an hour of publishing this line, I got a call from a White House press person vigorously …
Breaking: Don Berwick to Answer Questions
Tomorrow, Don Berwick, the head of Medicare and Medicaid, will appear before the Senate Finance Committee. Republicans are, to put it mildly, looking forward to this. Berwick was installed via recess appointment, bypassing a Senate confirmation hearing. Expect a peek of what’s to come in 2011, once Republicans control the three …
What the Deficit Commission Says About Health Care
An early proposal from President Obama’s deficit commission appears to have been leaked today. The commission was due to release recommendations in December and its findings and proposals were much anticipated.
It’s unclear if the “draft” unveiled today will mirror final recommendations from the commission, but at the very …
“Keep Your Gov’t Hands Off My Medicare” cont…
Per Ben Smith, here’s a new ad from a Tennessee Republican running for the House. Her dismay with cutting $500 out of Medicare “all to help pay for government control of medicine” encapsulates a contradictory message I haven’t heard so overtly since a man attending a town hall last year told a South Carolina congressman to “keep your …
Rand Paul’s Medicare Shorthand
Kentucky’s Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul is in a spot of trouble over a comment he made about how to shore up Medicare. Speaking at a town hall in September 2009, Paul said “a $2,000 Medicare deductible would solve a huge amount of problems.” His Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, has seized on the statement, highlighting it …
Don Berwick Speaks!
Just not to me – or any other media types for that matter. The new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid has, until today, been kept under virtual lock and key by the Obama Administration. He was installed via recess appointment, circumventing the Senate confirmation process, which would have included a public hearing. He hasn’t …
For the Record
The Congressional Budget Office said in a recent letter that repealing the parts of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, would increase the deficit by $455 billion. The CBO released the figure this week in a letter responding to a request from Republican Sen. Mike …
A New Strategy for Selling Health Care
By now, most of us can agree that Democrats have largely failed to use health care reform as a political boost. The new law remains unpopular with half or more of the U.S. population and it will be one of several critical issues in the upcoming mid-term elections, particularly in districts where freshman, Blue Dog or vulnerable Democrats …
Who Knew Andy Griffith Was So Controversial?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services certainly knows its audience. As Adam noted earlier, the agency signed up Andy Griffith to appear in television ads now airing and touting changes to Medicare brought about by the new health reform law.
This has caused a bit of a stir, with five Republican senators sending a letter …
Why The Deficit Commission?
The president’s “National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform,” chaired by Democrat Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson, held its first official meeting this morning at the White House. Speaking about the endeavor, Obama pointed to the challenges financial crisis and economic downturn thrust on the …
Another Critical Health Reform Report
Health reform proponents got another round of bad headlines today, as the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report saying that the new law will increase costs. According to an AP story by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, the report is “a worrisome assessment for Democrats,” showing that while cost …