• Published on July 14th, 2010

Press Release - SENIORS GROUP WILL FIGHT “LIFE OR DEATH BY GOVERNMENT DECREE”

by Daniel C. Weber    |     Found in the In The News, Popular Articles category

Dan Weber, AMAC's Founder

Berwick Appointment Worst Possible Choice To Lead Obamacare

“Grim-faced, cold-minded, power-struck bureaucrat” says AMAC president.

[July 8, 2010] [Bohemia, NY] — Daniel Weber, President of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) today blasted the recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the Department of Health and Human Services as “an attack on the democratic process and the rights of every Medicare recipient to the best health care possible.”

In his remarks, Weber pointed out, seniors will face rationing and will likely be denied care under the implementation of the new health care law by an individual with and admitted “love” for the NHS [Britain’s National Health Service] going so far to say that he “is romantic about it”.

“The American people have a right to hear Dr. Berwick publicly questioned about his chilling views on the rationing of care for seniors and for the seriously ill.  Clearly, this administration and the Congressional leadership, who promised to be the most transparent in history, did not want the Dr. Berwick to discuss his belief that government officials have a right and duty to cut care options for those in the health care system and to take over the decisions that should be made by doctors and their patients”.

“Now that he is has been appointed,” Weber said about Berwick, “American seniors on Medicare can expect from this grim-faced, cold-minded, power-struck bureaucrat the sort of edict that prevents them access to tests, drugs and other medical procedures that they and their doctor think they should have”.

Weber said the Berwick appointment was a case study in what was wrong with the current Administration’s and Congress’ approach to health care.  “The Administration’s lack of transparency about this appointment is a perfect expression of what it and the Congress has been up to, a takeover of the health-care system, a political power grab that will hurt all Americas, especially seniors.   Unless voters send a strong message this November to the Congress the health and safety of all Americans but especially those on Medicare are in grave danger”.

Weber also called Berwick “the worst possible person to administer the programs that will have such a huge impact on senior citizens”.

“His stated objective is to achieve ‘cultural change’ in our health care system. Dr. Berwick has repeatedly said the U.S. Health Care System is disjointed, inefficient and ineffective.”

“How can he say that when the U.S. has higher cure rates for just about every type of cancer compared to other advanced nations?  How can he have such a bad opinion of American health care when 85% of citizens say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their health plans” Weber continued”.

“AMAC is especially disappointed with President Obama who repeatedly promised that our health care would not be rationed. Dr. Berwick has openly called for rationing similar to the British health care system.”

According to Weber, “When health care is rationed, it means someone in government decides who will get treatment and who will not be allowed to be treated. This can be a death sentence for an older person. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, where Berwick serves as President, has endorsed a points system where a patient will be assigned points based on age, health condition and past utilization of medical care. If you have too many points, you receive pain pills instead of treatment.”

“Berwick is a perfect example of a new class of politicians and professors who regard themselves as super-elite capable of making the critical decisions about the lives of others and hungry for the power to do so.”

The Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) is a nonpartisan organization looking out for the interests of Americans 50 years of age and older.  Considered the conservative alternative to the AARP the organization has grown to over 100,000 members since its founding in 2007.  AMAC endeavors to be advocates for seniors by promoting commonsense government and offering discounts on insurance hotels, car rentals and other products and services.

Please visit http://www.amac.us/