Orzag: We're Starting Fascist Austerity, Now

Without being able to pass the Nazi-modeled "healthcare reform" bill it expected by now, the Obama White House is trying to go ahead with fascist austerity by fiat and regulation, targeting medical care in particular. The infamous "no mammograms" ruling is not the Administration's only such move.

On Nov. 15 Associated Press was leaked a "Federal government report" claiming 12.4% ($47 billion) of Medicare annual payments are for fraud, a huge increase from previous years' estimates of 4% fraud. "Obama is expected to announce new initiatives this coming week to help crack down on Medicare fraud, including a government-wide Web site aimed at providing a fuller account of health care spending and improper payments made by various agencies," reported AP. It indicated that the sudden apparent tripling of Medicare fraud had resulted from the government redefining fraud, to include any Medicare payments for reported medical services for which documentation is incomplete, or doctor's signature is not legible [!]. It said the Administration had made 12.4% the "unofficial" fraud rate for FY2009, compared to 4% for FY2005-08; and for FY2010, planned to make 12.4% the "official" fraud rate.

Not surprisingly, $47 billion/year over 10 years is a major part of the $800-900 billion in cuts in Medicare, which Obama and his economic team have "put on the table" at the center of their year-long drive for the care-denying healthcare "reform."

AP's source of this "report" has been found to be Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag, one of the leading kook "behaviorist economists" around Obama. Orszag's blog on Nov. 18 led with the claim that the White House had "found" that fraud-induced government spending amounts to $98 billion/year, half of all of it in Medicare. "The President, over the next week, will sign an executive order to rein in these improper payments..."

Among other immediate steps, the Administration, Orszag said, will "Require each agency to designate a current, Senate-confirmed appointee to be accountable to the President for meeting improper payment reduction targets." This amounts to an "austerity czar" in every government department. And Obama will "Require that all targets for improper payments show reduction and/or improvement" immediately.