Republican top docs take helm of House Energy and Commerce oversight panel

In other news from the Hill, lawmakers called for stepping up the fight against Medicare fraud during a Wednesday Capitol Hill hearing.

CQ HealthBeat: GOP Docs Take Helm Of Energy And Commerce Oversight Panel
Two top members of the House GOP Doctors Caucus will take control of the investigatory panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a move that should help House Speaker John A. Boehner fulfill his goal of conducting hard-hitting oversight of the health care overhaul law. With Republicans lacking the votes to repeal the law because of their failure to sufficient gains at the ballot box, Boehner, R-Ohio, is now depicting oversight as the route to repealing the law. Joining Murphy, a strong critic of the health care law, will be an energetic and sometimes aggressive questioner, Rep. Michael C. Burgess. Burgess, R-Texas, will serve as the panel's vice chairman, a role he also will continue to play next year on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee (Reichard, 11/28).

The Hill: GOP Lawmaker Calls For Tougher Fight Against Medicare Fraud
Republican Rep. Joe Pitts (Pa.) called Wednesday for more sophisticated techniques to fight fraud in Medicare, a problem he said costs taxpayers $60 billion every year. "Our nation's seniors are counting on us to ensure that Medicare fulfills its promises," Pitts said Wednesday at a hearing on the issue. "We can do that in part by making sure their premium dollars are managed wisely and not lost to con artists." Pitts leads the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which held the hearing (Viebeck, 11/28).