By Adam Bitely –
With each passing day, we learn new information about what was inside of the ObamaCare legislation. Many of the concerns that Tea Partiers raised about the legislation, that were dismissed as myths by the Obama administration have proven to be facts. Most notable among these is the Obama denial that the new law would result in Health Care rationing.
Enter Dr. Donald Berwick—the soon to be rationer-in-chief.
Donald Berwick is the Obama appointment to run the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This is the largest entity in the Federal Government health care system costing nearly $1 trillion. The appointment of Berwick to this high position should raise many eyebrows.
Berwick is an outspoken supporter of the British National Health Service, the state-run Health Care that the British citizens have been enduring since 1948. The British system imposes rationing on its paying patients, an idea that Berwick praises.
While many were criticized for suggesting that rationing would happen in America if ObamaCare came to pass, the people that Obama is putting in place openly support such schemes. After all, personnel is policy, and Berwick has stated that “the decision is not whether or not we will ration care, the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
When one looks at the British National Health Service, the words of Berwick usually do not come to mind. As he said, “I am romantic about the National Health Service, I love it.” But what about the people that have fallen victim to this system? Does he love that?
For instance, would Berwick want this to happen in America, where he says we need the “Holy Grail of universal coverage.”? Under the National Health Service in Britain, the Care Quality Commission discovered that filthy wards and lack of leadership led to 400 patient deaths annually at Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust. Surely this is not what Berwick has in mind.
Perhaps it is this.
In May, the National Health Service announced that due to cash shortages, they would begin rationing treatments for common children’s conditions. In our own country, we currently have no cash for anything. We wonder what Berwick has to say about this? Is this something he would stand for?
But there is more.
Under the same National Health Service system that Berwick loves, the NHS level of care fell below even third world standards. Where is the outcry from Berwick? Something is wrong with Berwick if this system is ideal—even above our current one.
One can imagine from the British examples what we will soon face in our own country. Berwick will soon be empowered to deny basic care to your grandparents or even yourself should he deem it unnecessary. The reality of this is not farfetched. He has said it himself that he will ration your care.
The U.S. Senate has the power to stop Berwick. We can only hope that they do. Or else we will all face the rationing that Berwick has professed to bring to America.
Adam Bitely is the Editor-in-Chief of NetRightDaily.com for Americans for Limited Government.
