Senate GOP Ready To Question CMS Chief
CQ Healthbeat: Round Two On Tap For CMS Head Berwick And Senate GOPThe White House decision to mount a fresh effort to get Medicare's top administrator, Donald M. Berwick, confirmed will again inject the volatile issue of rationing into a health care law debate already dominated by the Republican drive for repeal. Republican senators remain disgruntled about the lack of time they've had to question Berwick, who's served as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) since he was made a recess appointment by President Obama in 2010. Administration officials said at the time that they had to make a move to end GOP attacks on Berwick portraying him as a proponent of rationed health care (Norman, 1/27). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.