An independent panel of sorts meant to develop payment, spending, and reimbursement policy with regard to Medicare is quickly getting roundly criticized by some members of Congress while getting pushed by the executive branch. While the potential for an outside private commission to make sweeping Medicare spending policy changes in a time of immense budgetary problems is troublesome on its face, it hasn’t stopped some parties from investigating the possibility, however.

The board, a priority of White House Budget Director Peter Orszag, is designed to force spending cuts in the medical insurance program for the elderly, which serves more than 45 million Americans and is among the main drivers of the federal deficit. Orszag called the board’s creation Congress’s “single- biggest yielding of power to an independent entity since the creation of the Federal Reserve.”

Of course, Hill lawmakers are against this plan as it takes their say out of the equation. Perhaps discussion of this move is needed to pressure Congress to act on solving the crisis of Medicare spending instead of constantly rubber stamping the problem. It will be interesting to get the opinion of Pres. Obama’s newly appointed CMS head on the matter. | LINK

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