Flying Pigs

Watching Pigs Fly

June 5, 2010 · Leave a Comment · Edit This

A friend told me about this video. It’s good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVAhr4hZDJE

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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has already missed as many as four deadlines under the law – not on any major regulations — but still a worrying trend, critics say.

Congressional staff and industry representatives have also been asking HHS for a timeline specifying when it will issue the numerous regulations required by the law. They were shocked to find the agency has not produced such a document, one aide said.

The issue is important because vast industry sectors are trying to plan their own implementations of the health-care law and most of the details remain in bureaucrats’ hands, leaving a vacuum of uncertainty about the final burdens the law will impose.

“Now it looks like the simplest job assigned to the Obama administration – outlining its own new authorities and responsibilities — was so daunting that HHS decided just to reprint the table of contents from the new law until they can sort things out,” said Lisa Miller, a spokeswoman for Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, a key Republican on health-care issues. “It’s troubling because, if they can’t even explain what they are supposed to do, how do we expect them to actually manage a sixth of the economy?”

While missing the deadlines, the administration has found time to send promotional material touting the law’s benefit, including a brochure for senior citizens and post cards from the IRS advertising tax breaks under the law.

“Despite the fact that they don’t know what they are even in charge of, the IRS can send out postcards touting the tax credits, they can hire a health-care cheerleader and they can send out CMS brochures – talking about things that don’t even apply to seniors?” a key GOP aide said.

Troy said the early missed deadlines are not on significant issues, but that they may point to a troubling trend. Far more important are 12 significant regulations that are to be proposed by Sept. 23, Troy said.

One thing complicating the picture is that critics of the missed deadlines are wary that highlighting the issue may provoke HHS to rush, Troy said, potentially leading to errors and unforeseen consequences.

Errors and unforseen consequences in the governmwent takeover of life and death?

Perish the thought!

One example of this is a deadline for an advisory committee to issue a progress report on deciding what counts as “medically underserved populations and health professional shortage areas” that receive extra federal money.

The progress report was due April 1, nine days after the president signed the health-care bill into law. But HHS is also required to give the public 30 days to comment on the membership of the advisory committee. The comment period ends June 10, until which the advisory committee cannot exist.

In other words, it was legally impossible for HHS to meet the deadline.

The full list of missed deadlines includes:

• April 1: Under section 5602, a progress report to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius regarding developing a methodology for designating medically underserved populations and health professional shortage areas.
• April 22: Under section 1552, HHS must publish a list of new authorities it was granted by the health-care law. (Note: HHS says this deadline has been met).
  
• May 7: Under section 5104, HHS is to establish a task force on improving health care in Alaska.
• May 23: Under section 399NN, HHS is to establish a task force on breast cancer, part of legislation originally titled the EARLY Act. (Daily Caller)

But don’t worry, the government is here to save you!

And they will more efficient, cost effective and better than evil capitalists!

Sorry, I have to go watch my pig fly now…Bye…