Congress acts indignant

The House of Representatives' Budget Committee task force on health is taking a look at federal programs for waste, fraud and abuse in health care.  At a hearing in May, the task force heard testimony from physicians subject to Medicare regulations, and from the AMA. 

The witnesses seemed to impress some members of the task force as to the sheer burden of regulations under which they are forced to labor.  One witness, Joe Sam Robinson Jr., MD of the Neurological Institute of Central Georgia, took the trouble to weigh his set of Medicare regulations, and found the more than 110,000 pages to tip the scales at 35 pounds. Dr. Robinson also decried the intimidation tactics used by federal anti-fraud forces in demanding complete compliance with these regulations.

The AMA testimony claimed the regulatory situation to be "out of control," and noted that physicians have been forced to hire lawyers, consultants and compliance experts to help them sift through the complex and constantly changing regulations.

House Representatives offered the witnesses sympathy, accepted some of the blame for the regulatory burden, and noted they would be taking testimony from HCFA officials later this summer.

DrRich comments:

Every now and then, Congress is moved to hold hearings to allow individuals or groups persecuted by the federal government (often by that self-same Congress) to vent.  The illusion that Congress is truly concerned, and that it may act to give some relief, is usually just the thing to deflate a growing crisis - and paradoxically is the very thing that enables the Congress to do nothing with little political fallout. 

Whatever urge Congress may be feeling to offer some relief to beleagured health care providers will be allayed when they hear from HCFA later this year. HCFA will remind them of the more than $300 billion in yearly waste within the health care system, and Congress will applaud and reaffirm the anti-fraud forces' mandate to save health care by rooting out the bad apples.

The arcane Medicare regulations are, of course, an integral part of the Regulatory Speed Trap, which is one of the government's chief tools in covertly rationing health care. Those regulations can be changed - they are continually being changed - but they cannot be simplified.

But thanks to the hearings, steam has been blown off, angry doctors have had their names in the paper, and sympathetic mutterings from congressmen have been duly recorded.  The whole thing puts one in mind of those radio commercials where the angry guest calls the desk clerk and complains of a dirty room.  "That's unbelievable!" says the desk clerk. "Well, what are you going to do about it?" the guest demands.  "I'm going to act indignant!" the clerk huffs.

Congress judges that it's time to act indignant again.  May we all feel a little better for their doing so.

06/03/2000

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