Yale Public Policy Professor Ted Marmor says commissions like these generally have two purposes.

NPR: Bush Faces Hurdles in Health Care Reform

In fact, says Marmor, that's not necessarily the case at all.

NPR: Bush Faces Hurdles in Health Care Reform

In the case of health care, Marmor does agree with the president that Medicare and Medicaid are growing more rapidly than the rest of the economy, and consuming a growing share of the nation's output.

NPR: Bush Faces Hurdles in Health Care Reform