Grassley Questions Obama’s Medicare/Medicaid Chief on Possible Conflicts of Interest

Tuesday, August 03, 2010
By Matt Cover, Staff Writer

This undated handout provided by Goodman Media International, Inc., shows Donald Berwick. With Congress in recess, President Obamas appointed Berwick the head of Medicare and Medicaid without Senate hearings. (AP Photo/ Goodman Media International, Inc.)


(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking Dr. Donald Berwick, who now heads the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to disclose any conflicts of interest arising between his new role and his old one as the CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

In a July 29 letter, Grassley -- the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee -- asked Berwick to honor promises he made to Grassley while his nomination was still pending in the Senate. Berwick was recess-appointed by President Obama on July 7 while Congress was on its July 4 break.)

Now that Berwick has been recess-appointed, Grassley wants the doctor – who defends health care rationing and has praised Britain’s government-run National Health Service – to keep his promise and allow the Senate to examine the books of IHI, as well as the list of donors it gave to the Internal Revenue Service.

“As you are aware, many of my colleagues and I are very concerned that your recess appointment has circumvented the open public review of your nomination,â€