Obama Renominates Berwick as CMS Chief

WASHINGTON — Late Wednesday, President Obama renominated
Donald Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services.

The president had originally nominated the Harvard professor and
pediatrician for the job in April 2010. But after Republicans
attacked Berwick’s views on Medicare cost control, which some felt
would lead to care rationing, the president bypassed Senate
confirmation and used a recess
appointment to put Berwick in place as acting CMS administrator
in July.

But recess appointments are temporary, and Berwick can remain as
acting administrator only through the end of 2011. This time
around, he must be confirmed by the Senate to win the job as the
giant agency’s permanent head.

Although most of CMS’ official comments on competitive bidding have been
left to Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator and director of the
Center for Medicare Management, Berwick did single out the program
as an example of how Medicare can save money at a Senate Finance
Committee hearing in November.

Responding to questions about savings under health reform,
Berwick pointed to the 32 percent drop in Medicare payments for DME
in Round 1 of competitive bidding, which he said would return
“something like $150 million I think back to beneficiaries in those
nine trial areas.”

CMS has been without a permanent administrator since Mark McClellan left the
post in October 2006.