60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin, “The life expectancy of every senior just went up a few ticks.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – Seniors across America have another reason to give thanks as the holiday weekend approaches, with news that Medicare and Medicaid head Donald Berwick will step down December 2nd.  Berwick took the position in July, 2010 courtesy of a recess appointment from President Obama, as even Senate Democrats — at the time holding a 59 seat majority — could not stomach his views in support of rationing medicine to the elderly, and ‘romance’ with the tragic and ailing British medical system.

“This is a pleasant start to the Thanksgiving weekend and an early Christmas present for America’s seniors and their families,” said 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin. “The life expectancy of every senior just went up a few ticks. It’s just a shame that for 16 months, the elderly in this nation endured a presidential policy chief that gave more regard to the pardoned turkeys at the White House than to the health care that every elderly American has earned and deserves.”

Berwick is renowned for his strong embrace of rationing medical care to the elderly and for saying he was “in love” with the NHS, the British government-run health care system which refuses medical care to the very sick and aged if such treatment does not fit into a pre-determined cost formula.

Offered Martin, “In the spirit of bi-partisan cooperation, I’ll be glad to help him pack, so he can spend more time with his true love, the failing British medical system. Then the rest of us will turn a serious eye toward any and all potential appointees to fill this spot.  The appointment of Berwick was yet another act in a long series of policy moves by this Administration to undermine the health and well-being of America’s seniors, with the passage of the ObamaCare legislation leading the way.

“The head of Medicare and Medicaid will have huge influence on not just those critical programs, but on the private health care industry as well.  Every American has ‘skin in the game’ when it comes to Berwick’s replacement, and seniors will be front and center going forward in this debate, to make sure this Administration nominates a serious candidate, where the skin we risk is only figure of speech, and not the one we wake up in every day.”

-30-