The Democratic Oath: First, Gut Medicare

Democrats Expect Americans to Take “Leap of Faith” on Their Plan to Gut Medicare While Doctors and Patient Groups Urge Democrats to Stop

• The House Energy & Commerce Committee yesterday took an important step towards protecting and preserving Medicare by voting to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board created to gut Medicare under ObamaCare, but not without vocal opposition from top Democrats like HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
• Meanwhile, a broad and growing coalition of doctors and healthcare providers is urging Democrats to repeal the IPAB out of fear that the board will harm patients’ access to quality care.
• Even some Democrats are listening to the pleas of doctors and signing onto the effort to repeal IPAB. Yet by and large, Democrats are still doubling down on their latest plan to gut Medicare after having already taken $500B out of Medicare to pay for their government healthcare takeover.

The House Energy & Commerce Committee yesterday took an important step towards protecting and preserving Medicare by voting to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board created to gut Medicare under ObamaCare, but not without vocal opposition from top Democrats like HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius:

HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE PANEL VOTES TO REPEAL IPAB: “The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation that would repeal implementation of an advisory board created to recommend cuts to Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled.”(Michelle Jamrisko, “House Panel Approves Repeal of Medicare Board in Health-Care Law,” Bloomberg, 3/6/2012)

WHILE OBAMA’S HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS DOUBLED DOWN ON SUPPORT FOR IPAB: “In a letter this morning to the committee leadership, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated the administration’s ‘strong opposition’ to the bill…”(Michelle Jamrisko, “House Panel Approves Repeal of Medicare Board in Health-Care Law,” Bloomberg, 3/6/2012)

REP. RON KIND (D-WI): “I WOULD BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT IPAB REQUIRES A LEAP OF FAITH, BUT I SUPPORTED IT, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.” (Remarks From Rep. Ron Kind, House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health Hearing, 3/6/2012) 

Meanwhile, a broad and growing coalition of doctors and healthcare providers is urging Democrats to repeal the IPAB out of fear that the board will harm patients’ access to quality care:

41 DOCTORS’ GROUPS REPRESENTING 400,000 DOCTORS AND THEIR PATIENTS CALL FOR IPAB REPEAL: “On behalf of the undersigned 41 medical organizations, representing over 400,000 physicians and the patients they serve, we urge you to favorably report H.R. 452, the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act, out of committee when you mark-up the bill this week.  Created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the IPAB is a government board whose sole job is to cut Medicare spending, and H.R. 452 would repeal this section of PPACA.” (Letter from Healthcare Stakeholders, House Energy and Commerce Committee, 3/5/2012)

DOCTORS FEAR THAT “15 UNELECTED AND LARGELY UNACCOUNTABLE” BUREAUCRATS WILL MAKE MEDICARE DECISIONS, AND NONE CRE ALLOWED TO BE “PRACTICING PHYSICIANS”: “With the advent of the IPAB, however, the people’s elected representatives will no longer have power over Medicare payment policy.  Instead, these major health policy decisions will rest in the hands of 15 unelected and largely unaccountable individuals.  Even worse, if IPAB fails to report recommendations or never becomes operational, this power will rest solely in the hands of a single individual – the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, fewer than half of the IPAB members can be health care providers, and none are permitted to be practicing physicians or be otherwise employed.” (Letter from Healthcare Stakeholders, House Energy and Commerce Committee, 3/5/2012)

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, WITH 75,000 MEMBERS, CALLS FOR IPAB REPEAL: “On behalf of the more than 75,000 members of the American College of Surgeons

(ACS), I write to express our opposition to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) and to commend you for marking up H.R. 452, the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act.” (David B. Hoyt, Letter to Joe Pitts, House Energy and Committee, 2/28/2012)

IPAB WILL “NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY, EFFICIENT HEALTH CARE”: “The Committee’s consideration of H.R. 452 is an important step in preserving Congress’ role in Medicare payment policy. Leaving payment policy decisions in the hands of an unelected, unaccountable governmental body with minimal congressional oversight will negatively impact the availability of quality, efficient health care to Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans.” (David B. Hoyt, Letter to Joe Pitts,House Energy and Committee, 2/28/2012)

Even some Democrats are listening to the pleas of doctors and signing onto the effort to repeal IPAB. Yet by and large, Democrats are still doubling down on their latest plan to gut Medicare after having already taken $500B out of Medicare to pay for their government healthcare takeover:

GOP BILL TO REPEAL IPAB HAS 19 DEMOCRAT CO-SPONSORS, AND GROWING: (“Cosponsors,” H.R. 452, Clerk of the U.S. House, Accessed 3/6/2012)

REP. SCHWARTZ SAYS OBAMA’S MEDICARE BOARD WILL “CUT PAYMENTS” AND SHOULD BE REPEALED: “We all agree that Medicare costs must be contained and that the payment system is flawed and needs to be replaced. But simply cutting reimbursements is not the answer. IPAB brings unpredictability and uncertainty to providers and has the potential for stifling innovation and collaboration.” (Rep. Allyson Schwartz, “Opposing View: Repeal Medicare Board,” USA Today, 5/23/2011)

REP. PETER STARK (D-CA): IPAB IS A “MINDLESS-RATE CUTTING MACHINE THAT SETS THE PROGRAM UP FOR UNSUSTAINABLE CUTS”: “I oppose the inclusion the Independent Payment Advisory Commission, called IPAB.  Some of my colleagues support this Commission because it shields them from having to take tough votes when it comes to cutting Medicare provider payments. It’s my experience that Congress always does what is needed to protect and strengthen the Medicare program.  IPAB is a dangerous provision.   By statute, this Commission would be required to hold Medicare spending to an arbitrary and unrealistic growth rate.  It is a mindless-rate cutting machine that sets the program up for unsustainable cuts. That will endanger the health of America’s seniors and people with disabilities.  It is an unprecedented abrogation of  Congressional authority to an unelected, unaccountable body of so-called experts.  I intend to work tirelessly to mitigate the damage that will be caused by IPAB.” (“Statement of Congressman Pete Stark Supporting Health Care Reform,” Office of Rep. Pete Stark, 3/21/2011)

FORMER REP. RON KLINK (D-PA) SAYS IPAB “IS DEMOCRATS’ ACHILLES’ HEEL,” WILL “GUT MEDICARE”: (Ron Klink, “IPAB Is Democrats’ Achilles’ Heel,” The Hill, 6/15/2011)