Necessary Roughness

The Bush Administration, with blessing from Congress, is not cutting Medicare checks for nine days so that it can claim $5.2 billion against next year’s budget instead of this year’s, AP reports.

For most hospitals, nursing homes and others, the hold will serve more as a frustration than a financial strain, said Chris Jennings, a health policy analyst who used to work in the Clinton administration.

“I think they get frustrated with these games, but I think they’ll survive,” Jennings said. “It’s just another game, another burden they don’t want to bear.”

I guess nobody wants to admit yet that the program is too expensive.