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cali

(114,904 posts)
Wed Apr 10, 2013, 05:06 AM Apr 2013

Why do Repukes like Obama's pick to head the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare

Services so much?

Maybe it's her background in private healthcare services that reassures them.

Marilyn Tavenner is the current Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She became Acting Administrator following the resignation of Dr. Donald M. Berwick in December 2011, after serving as the agency's Principal Deputy Administrator. Prior to her original appointment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, she served as Secretary of Health and Human Resources in the Cabinet of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine from 2006 to 2010. From 1981 to 2005, she was employed by Hospital Corporation of America, beginning as a nurse at Richmond, Virginia-based Johnson-Wills Hospital eventually becoming Chief Executive Officer of the hospital in 1993. In 2001, she became President of HCA's Central Atlantic Division, and was later appointed Group President of Outpatient Services before resigning from HCA in 2005. She earned B.S. in nursing and M.H.A. degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Tavenner

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) is the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world.[1] It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and currently manages 162 hospitals and 112 freestanding surgery centers in the United States and United Kingdom.[2]

<snip>

After Scott stepped down Frist Jr. returned as chairman and CEO. He called on longtime friend and colleague Jack O. Bovender, Jr. to help him turn things around. Frist and Bovender, who became CEO in 2001, pulled off what Fortune Magazine called a remarkable corporate rescue. [12] In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to fourteen felonies. They admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and filing false data about use of hospital space.

HCA also admitted fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. They filed false cost reports, fraudulently billing Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, they gave doctors "loans" never intended to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.[13][14]

In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the U.S. government $631 million, plus interest, and pay $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.[15] In all, civil law suits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle, by far the largest fraud settlement in US history.[16] The name subsequently reverted to "Hospital Corporation of America." HCA abandoned the use of its name in its home market and instead promotes its Nashville hospitals under the TriStar brand.

<snip>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_Corporation_of_America

Evidently repukes threw a hissyfit about Obama's original pick:

Donald M. Berwick (born 1946) is a former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Prior to his work in the administration, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement[1] a not-for-profit organization helping to lead the improvement of health care throughout the world. On July 7, 2010, Barack Obama appointed Berwick to serve as the Administrator of CMS through a recess appointment. On December 2, 2011, he resigned because of heavy Republican opposition to his appointment and his potential inability to win a confirmation vote. On January 8, 2013, Berwick declared his possible interest in running as a candidate for governor of Massachusetts.

Berwick has studied the management of health care systems, with emphasis on using scientific methods and evidence-based medicine and comparative effectiveness research to improve the tradeoff among quality, safety and costs.[2][3][4] Among IHI's projects are online courses for health care professionals for reducing Clostridium difficile infections, lowering the number of heart failure readmissions or managing advanced disease and palliative care.[5] In March 2012 he joined the Center for American Progress as a Senior Fellow. [6]

<snip>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_M._Berwick

Marilyn Tavenner soars through Senate Finance hearing

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday overwhelmingly lauded President Barack Obama’s nominee to run Medicare, Medicaid and even much of the health reform law.

Marilyn Tavenner, who has run the sprawling Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as acting administrator for well over a year, was praised by Republicans and Democrats during her confirmation hearing, indicating that she is likely to sail through the full Senate without a reprise of the nasty politics of the health law.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) told reporters that he hopes to hold a vote as soon as next week. She’d be the first CMS head to be confirmed since Mark McClellan, who served from 2004 to 2006 in the George W. Bush administration.

Even though CMS oversees much of Obamacare, those disputes were largely pushed aside as lawmakers focused on quizzing Tavenner on their pet health care issues.

<snip>

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/marilyn-tavenner-senate-finance-hearing-89836.html

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Why do Repukes like Obama's pick to head the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (Original Post) cali Apr 2013 OP
kick. I know it's not "sexy", but it's important info. cali Apr 2013 #1
Thanks for the links.... KoKo Apr 2013 #2

KoKo

(84,711 posts)
2. Thanks for the links....
Wed Apr 10, 2013, 11:24 AM
Apr 2013

Interesting.

Some would say because he wants to compromise and couldn't put his own choices up because they wouldn't be approved by the Repugs.

Others might say that they were the picks he wanted in the first place and that now he has a Second Term...he can be freer to express his personal views than he was in his First Term when he was expected to appear to be a Democrat.

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