As America moves towards big government health care, Britain forced to restrict care

Recently, President Obama’s promise of openness and transparency took a back seat to political expediency.  Instead of working with the Senate through the normal confirmation process, the President recess appointed Dr. Donald Berwick to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

In addition to expressing support for government rationing of health care, Dr. Berwick has described himself as “romantic” about the British National Health System (NHS). 

This week, the American people learned more about Dr. Berwick’s beloved system. 

On July 24th, The Daily Telegraph reported that:

“NHS bosses have drawn up secret plans for sweeping cuts to services, with restrictions on
the most basic treatments for the sick and injured.”

“Some of the most common operations — including hip replacements and cataract
surgery — will be rationed as part of attempts to save billions of pounds, despite
government promises that front-line services would be protected.”
 
“Patients’ groups have described the measures as ‘astonishingly brutal.”

This doesn’t sound like the kind of care most Americans would find romantic.  And apparently, the British people aren’t satisfied with their health care system either. 

On July 24th, the New York Times reported that “Britain plans to Decentralize Health Care” by:

“Proposing what would be the most radical reorganization of the National Health Service, as the system is called, since its inception in 1948.”

“Its aim is clear: to shift control of England’s $160 billion annual health budget from a centralized bureaucracy to doctors at the local level.”

While the United Kingdom moves towards a more locally controlled, market driven system, the President’s new health care law moves the United States health care system in the opposite direction.  Today, Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke on the Senate floor about this issue.