The Insurance Mandate, and Who's Rationing Healthcare? March 28, 2011

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/12/14/Donald_Berwick_Modernizing_Medicare_and_Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick weighs in on the constitutionality of the individual health insurance mandate scheduled to take effect in the U.S. in 2014. Berwick also responds to GOP accusations that he's a socialist, or that he favors government rationing of medical services.

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Donald Berwick leads a department with a larger budget than the Pentagon and oversees the programs that provide health care to nearly one in three Americans, yet he has made few public appearances since President Obama made him CMS administrator in a recess appointment last summer.

A recipient of numerous medical awards and honors, Berwick has a long history of involvement with public policy on health care and was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 2005 for his work. He shares his thoughts about how the recent reform bill passed by Congress will affect the longevity and viability of our nation's medical system and his goals of improving patient care while reducing waste. - Commonwealth Club of California

Donald Mark Berwick is the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a not-for-profit organization helping to lead the improvement of health care throughout the world. On July 7, 2010, Barack Obama appointed Dr. Berwick to serve as the Administrator of CMS through a recess appointment.