Herger: Medicare Overhaul Needed to Reduce Deficit

The government must overhaul Medicare and Medicaid if it’s every going to reduce the budget deficit, Rep. Wally Herger told Newsmax TV.

“The big spending we have to get a handle on is on entitlement programs, on Medicare, Medicaid, those are the big ones obviously, eventually Social Security,” said Herger, who is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on health.

The California Republican criticized President Barack Obama’s budget deficit speech Wednesday as containing “zero specifics.”

“It seemed to be just a big political talk.”

Herger told Newsmax TV the government “absolutely” must make changes to Medicare and Medicaid in order to get the deficit under control.

He said Obama’s answer is to take money from programs without explaining how costs can reduced.

“Again, there aren’t any specifics. I mean his way, as he had in his Obamacare, is just to slash spending without any specifics on how to reform it. We saw exactly the same thing” in the budget speech, Herger said.

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He said the government must reform the programs so that they can provide quality care without breaking the bank.

“What we have to do is reform it, so we can have doctor-patient relationships, we can improve the wuality, we can address such things as tort reform” and increase competition, he said. “Do the type of things to continue quality and lower costs.”

Herger said that while Obama’s plan is devoid of details, Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal tackles ways to reduce Medicare and Medicaid spending.

“His cuts more than$ 6 trillion. That’s the area that we need to me moving in,” Herger said.