Comptroller General Walker Criticizes Congress For Failure To Address Financial Problems For Entitlement Programs

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 13 Mar 2008 - 6:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Comptroller General David Walker on Monday "chided" Congress for "ignoring the long-term financial crisis" for entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, CongressDaily reports. In an interview with National Journal Group writers and editors, Walker, who will leave his post next week, said that Congress is "doing nothing about the $53 trillion hole" in funds for entitlement programs during the 21st century.

Walker recommended that the next president appoint a bipartisan commission to develop a proposal to address the issue and submit the plan to Congress. In addition, Walker recommended a "mandatory reconsideration trigger" for a reduction in Medicare spending in the event that spending for the program increases at a higher rate.

Under current law, the president must propose legislation to revise Medicare when trustees estimate for two consecutive years that general fund revenue would finance more than 45% of total program costs within seven years. The law does not require a reduction in Medicare spending. Walker said, "We write a blank check for (health care)," adding, "There is no other country in the world dumb enough to do that" (Kivlan, CongressDaily, 3/12).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.