IPAB Will Make Healthcare Access Worse

Medicare’s Top Actuary, 270 Healthcare Providers Say IPAB’s Cuts Will Pose “Serious” Threat to Seniors’ Access to Care 

• Richard Foster, Medicare’s top actuary, said Wednesday that cuts to healthcare provider reimbursements under the Democrats’ government healthcare takeover could cause “serious” problems for patient access to care. Making these types of cuts to Medicare is exactly why Democrats created the Independent Payments Advisory Board (IPAB) in their government takeover of healthcare.  
• HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was forced on Wednesday to concede that the cuts to healthcare providers that IPAB could put in place would threaten access to care, even though she has previously and repeatedly claimed that IPAB will not ration care.
• Healthcare stakeholders on Wednesday agreed with Medicare’s actuary that a scheme like IPAB will threaten access to care and adversely affect patients.  

BACKGROUND:

Richard Foster, Medicare’s top actuary, said Wednesday that cuts to healthcare provider reimbursements under the Democrats’ government healthcare takeover could cause “serious” problems for patient access to care:

MEDICARE’S CHIEF ACTUARY: “THE POTENTIAL ACCESS PROBLEMS COULD BE SERIOUS.” (Phillip Klein, “Medicare’s Chief Actuary Says ObamaCare’s Cuts to the Program Likely Unsustainable,” The Washington Examiner, 7/13/2011)

Even though HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has repeatedly claimed that IPAB will not ration care, on Wednesday she was forced to concede that kidney dialysis patients, for instance, could see access to critical dialysis treatments threatened:

SEBELIUS RELUCTANTLY ADMITS THAT IPAB RECOMMENDATIONS COULD THREATEN ACCESS TO CARE: “During his questioning, Pitts asked Sebelius to consider a hypothetical scenario wherein IPAB made recommendations that Medicare reduce its reimbursement payments for dialysis procedures. Pitts inquired if seniors would be affected by reduced access to dialysis services.
” ‘If Congress accepted the recommendations and made the decision that cuts in dialysis were appropriate,’ Sebelius replied, ‘I assume there could be some providers who would decide that would not be a service they would any longer deliver…‘” (Michael Warren, “Sebelius Double Down on IPAB Defense,” The Weekly Standard, 7/13/2011)
BUT HHS SEC CLAIMED IPAB WOULD NOT “RATION” CARE: “The claims that the board will ration care are simply false.” (Kathleen Sebelius, “IPAB Will Protect Medicare,” Politico, 6/23/2011)

AND SEBELIUS ALLEGED MEDICARE’S “OUTLOOK IS IMPROVED” DUE TO BETTER “COST-EFFICIENCY” UNDER HEALTHCARE LAW: “Medicare’s long-term outlook is improved as a result of the development of new systems of health care delivery that will improve health care outcomes and cost efficiency, and provide more effective tools to reduce waste and fraud. These measures will also help people with Medicare by slowing the growth of their monthly premiums, and by keeping their copayments and deductibles lower than they would have been under previous law.” (Kathleen Sebelius, “Medicare’s Future: An Examination of the Independent Payment Advisory Board,” Committee on the Budget, U.S. House of Representatives, 7/12/2011)

Foster’s prediction dovetails with broad testimony from healthcare stakeholders on Wednesday that IPAB, created by Democrats in their healthcare takeover, will compromise  access to care and adversely affect patients. If it’s the word of the government healthcare takeover architect Kathleen Sebelius against the reputations of more than 270 healthcare stakeholder groups, who do you think Americans will trust?:
MORE THAN 270 HEALTHCARE GROUPS URGE REPEAL OF IPAB. (Sam Baker, “270 Healthcare Groups Back IPAB Repeal,” The Hill, 6/24/2011)
HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL: IPAB “WILL ONLY WORSEN THIS HEALTHCARE ACCESS PROBLEM.” (Testimony from Mary Grealy, “Hearing on IPAB: The Controversial Consequences for Medicare and Seniors,” Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 7/13/2011)

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY: IPAB “WILL BE HARMFUL TO PATIENT CARE.” (Testimony from Dr. Jack Lewin, “Hearing on IPAB: The Controversial Consequences for Medicare and Seniors,” Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 7/13/2011)

WOMEN AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER: “NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PATIENT ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE.” (Testimony from Theresa Morrow, “Hearing on IPAB: The Controversial Consequences for Medicare and Seniors,” Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 7/13/2011)

ALLIANCE OF SPECIALTY MEDICINE: IPAB “SEVERELY THREATENING MEDICARE BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE THERAPIES AND SPECIALTY CARE.” (Testimony from Dr. Alex Valadka, “Hearing on IPAB: The Controversial Consequences for Medicare and Seniors,” Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, 7/13/2011)