Pick for Budget Director Urges Action on Rising Health Costs

At his Senate confirmation hearing, Peter Orszag, President-elect Barack Obama's pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget, said rising health care costs are the main cause of the country's long-term budget problems. He made several recommendations for increasing health care efficiency, including greater use of health information technology and new incentives for disease prevention.

• "Budget Director Pick Sounds Alarm" (Pear, New York Times, 1/13).