“COST CONTAINMENT” AMENDMENT WOULD AUTHORIZE HHS SECRETARY TO REQUIRE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO ABIDE BY “EFFICIENCY” STANDARDS

A cost-containment amendment drafted by freshman Democratic Senators Mark Udall, Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, Kay Hagan , Jeff Merkley, Mark Begich, Roland Burris, Ted Kaufman, Michael Bennet, Al Franken, and Paul Kirk (see prior blog posting) would expand the authority the health care restructuring bill would give to require doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers to abide by "quality measures" so that the Secretary could also impose "efficiency" measures.

This seemingly small provision, in section 10007 on page 13 of the amendment, would have dramatic consequences. It would give authority to the federal government to regulate the "efficiency" of health care providers throughout the country. It takes little imagination to recognize that denial of treatment whose cost is deemed – by federal bureaucrats – to exceed its benefit could thus be imposed by administrative ruling on all patients– in short, government-imposed rationing.