Another radical to oversee Medicare

Even so-called sacred trusts like Medicare aren't safe from Obama's radicals. The New York Times has reported that Obama will appoint Dr. Donald Berwick, a pediatrician and Cambridge academic, to head up the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Both have been without an agency leader since 2006.

Berwick is a self-styled health care "revolutionary" who wants to "blow up" the system. His plan is to tear the existing health care system down and rebuild something new in its place. In other words, he's a perfect fit with our current president.

And then there's this, uncovered by World Net Daily.

At a 2008 Families USA conference speech documented by Health Beat, a healthcare industry blog, Berwick slammed the U.S. health-care system as "bloated" and "broken."

The blog points out Berwick noted, "There's a myth that American healthcare is the best in the world."

"It's not," he continued. "It's not even close."

"It's thought to be the best because we have the most health care," Berwick stated. However, he said, "40 percent of the care that Americans actually need is not received. ... Cost is the barrier.

"Here is a question I often ask my students," added Berwick. "When you meet a new patient, what is the one test that you could do that would tell you how long that patient is likely to live?

"Typically, students answer: 'Ask them if they smoke,' or 'Test their blood sugar.'

"No," Berwick said. "Just look at the color of their skin."

African-Americans may indeed be at greater health risks, but this is not related in any way to the American health care system.

Berwick has no bureaucratic or governmental experience whatsoever. He's more of an Ivory Tower health philosopher, dispensing edicts from on high about how there's too much money in the health care system. But when push comes to shove, it's difficult to figure out what his concrete solutions are. If Berwick survives his Senate confirmation, he'll have direct control over the lives of one-third of Americans, who depend on Medicare and Medicaid. He'll also help to implement ObamaCare, including moving 16 million new people onto Medicaid and extracting hundreds of billions in waste from Medicare.

Obama's latest health care sob story a lie

In his final push for health care reform, Obama has been turning to Natoma Canfield, a leukemia-stricken woman in Ohio who watched her insurance premiums skyrocket. Here's video of the president's speech in Ohio yesterday. Skip to 4:45 to hear Natoma's predicament.

It's a genuinely sad tale, but it's also not the entire story. Fox News checked with Cleveland Clinic, the medical center treating Canfield. A spokesman said that Canfield wouldn't be left out on the streets because of her leukemia. In fact, she was likely eligible for a host of options, including Medicaid and charity.

Lyman Sornberger, executive director of patient financial services at the Cleveland Clinic, said "all indications" at the outset are that she will be considered for assistance.

"She may be eligible for state Medicaid ... and/or she will be eligible for charity (care) of some form or type. ... In my personal opinion, she will be eligible for something," he said, adding that Canfield should not be worried about losing her home.

"Cleveland Clinic will not put a lien on her home," he said.

Obama lied about Canfield losing her home, but he also lied when he made her out to be helpless. Ohio has fairly generous Medicaid requirements for low-income individuals. We can't be sure how much money Canfield makes or has made, but she likely qualifies for something. Lack of knowledge about Medicaid eligibility is a serious problem plaguing the health care system. According to the Independent Institute, of the 47 million people who allegedly don't have health insurance, around 10 million qualify for Medicaid assistance and don't know it. Medicaid was established for the express purpose of helping low-income American afford health care. Obama could have pointed this out to Canfield. Instead he chose to use her condition for his own political purpose to promote health care reform.

DeParle is DeLimit

Health czar Nancy-Ann DeParle just finished a video question-and-answer session on the White House website. It was mostly the usual chatter about ObamaCare, but one thing really jumped out. When discussing the proposed excise tax on Cadillac health plans, DeParle said, "Do we really want to be spending that kind of money on our health care plans? ... Wouldn't you rather have that in your wages?"

DeParle sounds like a nanny scolding children. Her comment perfectly crystallizes Obama's attitude on pretty much everything. You don't really want to do that. We know that isn't good for you. People who buy expensive health care plans do so because the coverage is excellent, and they have plenty of other options. Obama is supposedly worried about the quality of care, yet he's slapping a huge tax on anyone who buys the best coverage in America.

DeParle also claimed that 47 million Americans don't have health care not because they opt out, but because they "can't afford it." As we have wearily explained over and over again, the Census Bureau says that isn't true. Of that 47 million, about 10 million are illegal immigrants. A further 17 million make more than $50,000 per year, but choose willingly not to carry health insurance. And an unknown third number qualify for Medicaid or some other government-funded health plan.

So the health czar is an Orwellian liar. Who would have guessed?

Earth to Obama: Health care is already run by the government

Barack Obama has used his presidency to bash health insurance companies as being maliciously powerful. It's all a bunch of malarkey. A new report released today found that government spending on health care will soon 50 percent of all health care spending. In fact, government-funded health caregrew by 17.3% last year to 2.5 trillion dollars annually.

Most of that spending is thanks to the huge number of retiring Baby Boomers who need Medicare and Medicaid. So the next time Barack Obama tells a health care horror story about a senior citizen who received poor care, remember where much of the blame belongs: on his incompetent government.