WALLY HERGER: “Just because Congress must act does not mean it should do so blindly.”

It is puzzling why CMS has not taken commonsense steps to protect Medicare beneficiaries from preventable identity theft by removing Social Security numbers from their Medicare cards.

The issue of consolidation warrants this subcommittee's attention as all health care cost drivers need to be closely examined, especially in this challenging economic and budget environment.

These cuts will significantly alter the program and jeopardize seniors' access to the health plans they rely on.

While I believe that market approaches hold great promise for improving the situation, my intent is to use the information we learn from this hearing as a starting point for further assessment of the consolidation issue.