WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday confirmed an agreement with fiscally conservative Democrats to create an independent group of doctors and medical experts empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency in Medicare.
Obama said at a nationally televised news conference that he backed adding such a panel to health care reform legislation. He said the panel would make recommendations requiring approval by Congress.
Such a panel could both "save ... money and ensure the long-term financial health of Medicare," Obama said.
So-called Blue Dog Democrats questioning the costs of initial.
From CNN Politics
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Why does Obama have to attach a search to reduce waste and excess costs from Medicare to a bill which massively inflates the deficit, does not insure everyone, elminates Health Savings Accounts, reduces healthcare quality and eliminates current health insurance coverage for 70 million Americans? I would think he would do the former, regardless of the latter.
He gave a shout out to GWB regarding the RX for seniors. What you rethugs have to say now?
Great speech, great QandA session. The Repugs have a lot of work to stop this great man. They will try to stop him at the risk of losing even more elections.
Thank you for your efforts, Mr. President.
Lets hope so. We need to get rid of the current idiot.
WHO? some more of his tax dodging chicago thugs?
There is waste in Medicare. I'm a medical biller and majority of medicare recipients don't even use there $1840 cap throughout a fiscal year.
I'd like to know how this so called health care plan will address illegal immigrants? Will those illegals here in the US be given health care and ultimately granted amnesty? Just another myths floating around...I think...well I really dont know what to think because I do not understand the man...
I am unpersuaded that Obama's health care doomsday plan will be good. We just don't do it in this country. Nobody wants to insure 20 million illegals, especially in this economy.
I think he should go line by line in the budget and start cutting costs.
May God have mercy on each one of us !
Third party audits is what it's all about.
the President also mentioned that it was a Republican idea, had been created and actually became law under a Republican congress, but that the results and recommendations are annually "shelved." He want to implement what he called, "a good idea." He is trying to be bipartisan, in spite of the Republicans who would much rather derail his presidency than reform a broken system.
Blue Dog Democrats should drop dead. I bet if Bush had come up with a health care plan – oh wait – he didn't care anymore than the Blue Dog Democrats. My bad!
I agree with the President supporting a group that aims to eliminate Medicare waste. How were the team representatives chosen? Were other health care providers offered this opportunity? Specifically, providers who do not have the ability to bill for services, therefore, are more unbiased. For example, were RN's invited to join this effort? Furthermore, why are we paying for another task force to look into Medicare waste? We already have the OIG, QIO's and the new HEAT working on this. When are we going to stop wasting Medicare dollars caused by duplicate efforts?
And when the president and the demoncrat Congress have put their public option in place, will there be an expert panel of doctors and medical experts empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency from the new public option trough?
Before they worry about adding more debt to taxpayers with government healthcare, they should straighten out medicare, medicaid and social security, no one so far seems to have the capability to do this, much less try to implement socialized medicine and run it competantly.
If Republicans are on this panel, look for them to be loyal to the drug companies. Afterall, the drug companies pour big bucks into GOP re-election campaigns. Case closed.
This president is so smug! What an elitist! Who does he think he is calling on any reporters! A Kenyan muslim terrorist should not be president anyway!
My aunt not getting a test (lung xray) because it was not necessary from the red tape of medicare caused her to die 8 mos later. Oh and she was 84. Guess when a gov bean counter decides who gets what test we are in trouble–especially if they deem it unnecessary and you are near your life expectancy. What's next Soyland green mentality only instead of not having enough food sources we just cast off the elderly???
The President was really nervous tonight.
He wants to push this bill through so fast that no one will be able to study it. The Presidents M.O. is to release thousand page bills hours before a vote, not giving lawmakers a chance to read them. This is what happened to the stimulus bill, the cap and trade energy bill and others. These bills are flawed.
Now the biggest and most expensive bill that would fundamentally change all of our lives will be passed the same way.
What happened to Obama's promise of transparency? Why not make the entire bill available to the public so we can weigh in on it?
No question that we need health care reform and make sure that everyone is covered, but this bill is so important that we have to get it right the first time.
"So-called Blue Dog Democrats questioning the costs of initial."
What? That's not even a sentence.
Long term financial health of medicare is not the problem GETTING A MEDICAL OFFICE, CLINIC OR HOSPITAL TO ACCEPT IT IS.
I cannot stand this President's lies anymore! I don't know which is worse, his pathetic lies or the lapdog media that lets him spew his garbage completely unchecked. He blames and demonizes Republicans while any idiot who pays attention knows that the Republicans couldn't stop this monstrosity if they wanted too! I HATE THIS ADMINISTRATION!!!
Now let's see how this works – Medicare is broken, Medecaid is broken, Social Security is broken, Government speding is out of control, Odumbo admitted that he wasn't familar with the Health Care Bill and yet he's trying to sell me on this sack of garbage. And remember it's not my fault. I have never in my life seen a bigger fool. And all Seniors please resign the AARP – they turned their back on the entire membership
It is all for show. No matter what the people come up with, he thinks he is right and will threaten or bribe them to slant or color their findings or will just misrepresent them himself. The man is a narcissist and has to have his way, no matter if the country suffers for it as long as he gets his revenge on the evil rich (those who work hard, save, pay their bills, and do not want government providing for them) and protects the takers in society who willingly refuse to work, save, etc.
The problem is that Obama's ideal of medicare waste is providing any sort of treatment for the elderly.
One thing I can say with Obambi, he CAN LIE WITH A STRAIGHTFACE and make you believe it's true. He had done it LAST YEAR and doing it again this evening. In fact he LIES EVERY FREAKING DAY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!