Health chief designate Leavitt lauded by senators

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President George W. Bush’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt, won bipartisan praise at the opening of his confirmation hearings on Tuesday where he provided few specifics on his vision for the nation’s health system.

Bush is widely expected to call for sharp cuts in Medicaid, the joint federal-state health program for the poor in his budget next month.

In addition, many advocates expect Bush to revive a proposal to turn Medicaid into a block-grant program to the states, although that idea is controversial even among Republicans. Block grants would give states greater leeway in covering the poor but would put a cap on federal contributions.

Leavitt gave no hints as to Bush’s precise intentions but said he thought the country could do a better job of providing “basic care” to more people within the current spending levels if states were given “greater flexibility” to cover the poor.

There is concern among some lawmakers that Bush also will seek cuts in Medicare, the federal health program for everyone from age 65. A federal advisory panel has backed cutting hospital payments in Medicare and freezing nursing home and home health care payments.

Leavitt, currently the Environmental Protection Agency chief and the former governor of Utah, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The Senate Finance Committee holds its hearing on Leavitt on Wednesday, and lawmakers expect him to get swift Senate confirmation.

Leavitt also promised to work with lawmakers on reforms that will improve safety monitoring of drugs after they have been on the market, a concern that has shot to the top of the policy agenda after Merck & Co. pulled its painkiller Vioxx was from the market.

Senators also prodded him to quickly appoint a new head for the Food and Drug Administration, a position that was vacant for much of Bush’s first term. 

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