WALLY HERGER: “America was built on the free enterprise system.”

Understanding the successful structure of the current MA program, and the challenges the program will face because of the Democrats' health law, is key to ensuring Medicare meets the needs of seniors now and into the future.

I am very disappointed with the lack of leadership and interest in this issue at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

This highlights a concern I have. The President and congressional Democrats clearly went out of their way during the legislative debate to hide the fact that this is a tax.

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.