> The Fool <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > <<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/20/politics/20MEDI.html?ex=1395118800&en=b55a3388a20b7a6f&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND>> > WASHINGTON, March 19 � Richard S. Foster, the chief > actuary of Medicare, > provided Congress with documents on Friday showing > that federal payments > to private health insurance plans under a new > Medicare law could far > exceed what Congress assumed when it passed the > measure last fall. > > For months, lawmakers had been seeking the data, but > Mr. Foster said in > an interview that he had withheld it under > instructions from Bush administration officials...
> Mr. Foster said he withheld the cost estimates and > other information from > Congress last year on instructions from Thomas A. > Scully, who was then > administrator of the Medicare program. > > Mr. Foster, who has been a government actuary for > more than 30 years, > said Mr. Scully had threatened to fire him if he > gave the data to Congress. > > Mr. Scully, who left the government in December, > confirms that he told > Mr. Foster to withhold certain information, but > denies threatening to fire him... Flat-out lying to Congress about what a program will cost -- isn't that illegal???? Disgraceful. > Consumer advocates told the administration on Friday > that one way to hold > down costs would be to allow Americans to import > drugs from Canada and other countries... Fine by me; although as I posted before, there have been problems with adulterated drugs from Mexico, China and even Spain (not counting herbals or "supplements," some of which have had contaminants and have come from a number of countries - including the US. Not FDA-regulated.). Debbi You'd Better Pray For Good Genes Maru (it works for PMS, after all... U U ) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
