Who's Afraid of Medicare and the VA?

[McCamy Taylor]

3. It's worse than I thought. An orthopedist wants to run Medicare.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/04/us/politics/tom-price-is-eager-to-lead-hhs-and-reduce-its-clout.html?ref=politics

Two years later, as the House debated a huge bill to jolt the economy out of a severe recession, Mr. Price jumped to his feet after spotting an item that provided $1.1 billion for research comparing the effectiveness of different drugs and medical treatments. He denounced it, saying he feared that the findings would be used to decide which items and services would be covered by insurance.

He is afraid that they might discover that back surgery for herniated discs is all but worthless and that the nation does not need to replace knees and hips in people who are too demented to even walk.

For more on surgery that heals the surgeon's wallet rather than the patient, read my old journal "The Dying Woman in the Bed With the Brand New Hip."