Medicare Official Testifies on Cost Figures ("direct WH orders")

[DeepModem Mom]

New York Times:

Medicare Official Testifies on Cost Figures
By ROBERT PEAR

Published: March 25, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 24 — The chief Medicare actuary, Richard S. Foster, told Congress on Wednesday that last June he provided the White House with data indicating that prescription drug legislation would cost 25 percent to 50 percent more than the Bush administration's public estimates. That information did not make its way to Congress for six more months.

Mr. Foster said he had shared his cost estimates with Doug Badger, the president's special assistant for health policy, and with James C. Capretta, associate director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. But he said that Thomas A. Scully, who was then administrator of the Medicare program, directed him to withhold the information from Congress, citing orders from the White House in one instance.

In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Foster said he had struggled to preserve the independence and integrity of his office. It was his first public appearance since a furor erupted over his assertions that Mr. Scully threatened to fire him if he disclosed his cost estimates to Congress during debate on the Medicare bill. The law, signed by President Bush in December, adds drug benefits to Medicare and significantly increases federal payments to private health insurers.

Mr. Foster said he had been told to withhold information from lawmakers of both parties. Moreover, he said, Mr. Scully stated that he was "ACTING UNDER DIRECT WHITE HOUSE ORDERS" in telling the actuary not to respond to a request from the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Representative Bill Thomas, Republican of California. Mr. Thomas was a principal architect of the Medicare bill....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/25/politics/25MEDI.html

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

1. This will do it

The other Bush scandals are plenty bad, but when Congress believes that the President has been lying, even the Republicans will are going to pick up the big clubs and start beating. Congress -- and especially the Senate -- are very particular when it comes to preserving their own powers. Bush probably has at least a half dozen Republican Senators willing to censure him, at the least.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I thought Foster's statement was pretty significant --

It leads to Scully being asked, at the least, who issued the direct order from the White House.

[indepat]

25. Has not the Congress already abrogated much of its authority, including

its Article I, Section 8 authority, and even when not outright abrogating its authority, marches in near lockstep to the beat of its drummer to such an extent that it has effectively given up control of the purse strings and, in effect, discarded the separation of powers doctrine?

[Judi Lynn]

3. IF ONLY this situation could get the attention it truly deserves......

It's absolutely outlandish. How could this happen, we wonder? I pray they can't sweep it back under the rug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I went to google news to see if there's more on Bill Thomas, after reading this article, and found this completely different article, which also concerns him, and it's truly worth a glance, for anyone who has a minute:

Lawmaker Sees Peril for Corporate Tax Bill
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

Published: March 23, 2004
WASHINGTON, March 22 - The House's top tax legislator warned on Monday that a bill to overhaul corporate tax law and avert $4 billion in tariffs on American exports to Europe is in danger of being defeated by feuding business interests.

"This most significant package of international tax reforms in 40 years is probably going to fall by the wayside," said Representative Bill Thomas, Republican of California and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

"If you see someone from Microsoft, if you see someone from Caterpillar, if you see someone from Boeing, say congratulations, you're the ones," Mr. Thomas told a conference of tax executives from Fortune 500 companies.

At issue is legislation to repeal a longstanding tax break for "foreign sales corporations," a provision that benefits American exporters but has been deemed an illegal subsidy by the World Trade Organization.
(snip/...)

~~~~ link ~~~~



More on the tax bill Bill Thomas is struggling with, in addition to the nasty Medicare scam he helped to cram down the throat of the American public:
http://www.hillnews.com/business/091003_tax.aspx

[lostnfound]

24. How CAN it get the attention? Papers need a special "Scandals" section

just to keep up with this administration! Oh, 8-10 pages a day should do it..

[0007]

4. I hope Foster can hold up as well as Richard Clarke

[DeepModem Mom]

5. So far, he's been the actuary that roared --

I, too, hope he keeps it going. And that the press understands what a big story this is, and attempts to make it understandable to the public --

[Bandit]

20. I heard he has a witness

A woman clerk heard Scully yelling at Foster about how He would never work in government again if he let this information get out. I don't recall her name but I'm sure it will become a household word in the near future. This is the one I think that is going to turn Congress against this Cabal. Especially if Delay gets put out to pasture for a while. No one strong arms like Delay. I believe we are witnessing the fall of the Bush* Empire and nothing could thrill me more.

[0007]

23. Delay will fall it's just a matter of when

The Texas Grand Jury convenes when??

[Mel]

6. I watched this hearing

<snip> An aide to Mr. Scully sent an e-mail message to Mr. Foster on June 20 saying that the actuary would suffer "extremely severe" consequences if he provided Congress with information requested by Mr. Thomas and other lawmakers.

Mr. Thomas disclosed on Wednesday that he called Mr. Foster in June to say that the actuary should not worry about such threats.
this is where the information I heard should of been placed
"I supported you then," Mr. Thomas told Mr. Foster at the hearing. "I support you now."

Mr. Foster said he had evidence that Mr. Scully was indeed acting under instructions from the White House and from Mr. Badger, in particular. </snip>


For me this is an Important piece of information that the reporter left out.

After the exchange Thompson had with Foster (about Foster calling him) it seemed to me that Thompson had received the 'actual numbers' from his phone conversation with Foster. Foster had called Thompson to tell him what was going on.
Thompson interjected with this bit of information (phone conversation) after Rangel's questioning of Foster.

Reason Thompson wanted to point out how a similar thing had happened in 97' of course that was Clinton's fault.

I think Thompson was so excited about making sure he pointed out how a similar thing had happened on Clintons watch that he jammed his self. I was like :wtf: you knew the numbers before the vote!?

After this exchange Rep. Rangel pointed out to Thompson what I thought I had caught that it sounded like Thompson had received the 'real numbers' before the vote and didn't let the Democrats know of course Thompson cut Rangel off.

I think the above information is an important piece of information that the reporter left out.

The way I see it Thompson is wrong here he knew what was going on. A) an employee was being threatened and B) he knew from Foster what the 'actual numbers' where and he didn't let the minority party know. I also don't believe he let the 'true conservatives' of his own party know either.

What I want to know. Has anyone read any other articles that mention what I've just pointed out and if you have will you post the link?
Does anyone think a reporter will follow up on what I and Rangel heard Thompson say that he knew the actual co$t (the more truthful numbers) of the bill before the vote?

[DeepModem Mom]

7. Whoa -- that adds a whole new dimension --

Thanks for your report. You might send your observations to [e-mail], or to Pear if his email is available from the Times -- or, I once called a newsroom at the NYT and was answered by a real person who listened, and agreed with a correction I was calling about.

This is the only coverage I've seen so far today. I'll check the Wash Post --

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Wash Post has more of the story, and includes your info --

Medicare Official Cites Cost Warning
White House Given Data, He Says
By Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 25, 2004; Page A03


....The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (N.Y.), chided his GOP colleagues. "We know you would not have had the votes to pass this bill if the true cost of the bill was known," Rangel said, adding he was astonished "how far the majority party was willing to go to keep the Congress in the dark."

Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) sought to shift the controversy away from the Bush administration. He recalled a conversation he had with Foster in 1997, when the actuary had a disagreement with a Clinton administration official over how much information to give Congress -- a conversation Thomas said was similar to one he had with Foster last summer.

"I supported you then. I support you now," Thomas said.

Still, several Republicans took a jab at the actuary for his work on a new government forecast that says Medicare's financial condition has worsened precipitously in the past year, partly because of the new Medicare law. They said he should have given the law credit for adding preventive care and efforts to better manage patients' chronic illnesses.

"I'm just astounded you could cost out every dollar we spend but could not cost in anything we saved," said Rep. Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.).


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22178-2004Mar24.html

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Who's Thompson? Do you mean Thomas?

"After the exchange Thompson had with Foster (about Foster calling him) it seemed to me that Thompson had received the 'actual numbers' from his phone conversation with Foster."

"Thompson was so excited..."

"Thompson is wrong here"

etc.

Your observation is an important one, but you may want to clarify the message before sending it on to the press.

[Mel]

11. note my bad 'Thomas' not 'Thompson'

to late for me to edit, sorry for the confusion.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. You couldn't get that disgusting performance by THOMPSON...

on the 9/11 panel yesterday out of your head -- that's what happened, Mel.

[JoFerret]

9. Let's not let this scandal sink

because of the high drama of the 9/11 commission.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/25/MNG0F5QR111.DTL
Another story:

[deek]

16. Story is #1 at Yahoo News.....

waiting for your rating, of course :bounce:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&e=1&u=/ap/medicare_costs

Official Considered Leaving Over Medicare

Thu Mar 25, 3:05 AM ET Add White House - AP Cabinet & State to My Yahoo!

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Medicare actuary Richard Foster was between a rock and a hard place.


If he told Congress the Medicare bill could cost more than $100 billion more than they thought, he could be fired. If he quit and went public, it would make a big splash but nothing likely would change for the next actuary. If he did nothing, Congress would pass a bill without having the best information, but he'd be around to fight another day.

more........

[DeepModem Mom]

19. An interesting perspective -- thanks for posting, deek --

[revcarol]

12. ON C-SPAN 2 RIGHT NOW6:40 MST

Naming names, describing details before an investigating committee-just woke up, but he described how, when he wanted to submit the figures, as he thought the LAW requires,for the conference bill, the administration's comment was "UNPRINTABLE."

[74dodgedart]

14. Another career government employee clains that the Admin is lying

The list is getting pretty long..

[DeepModem Mom]

15. If only they would sink, under the weight of these scandals --

[truthspeaker]

18. obviously another disgruntled employee with a political agenda

What've we got so far, 40 or 50 disgruntled former employees with political agendas?

[Blue_Tires]

17. lol...honestly:

Is there any way Bush survives all this come November?? If he wins again, it'll be the biggest fix in history

[underpants]

21. Part of an excuse they floated last night was the Scully was only joking

HAHA I'l fire you HAHA

The focus groups must have cut that one off before it made it to the morning reports.

[Bandit]

22. Kick

This Scully is the brother of the Scully on Washington Journal and I have noticed lately that he is not near as quick to cut off liberals and let the freepers rag on and on. In fact if anything he has done an about face and now lets the liberals have their time and cuts off the freeper rants fairly quickly.

[DeepModem Mom]

26. Interesting!