Dems’ ObamaCare Disaster Threatens to Gut Tricare

Despite the Pleas of Veterans’ and Military Family Groups, Democrats Defend Their ObamaCare-Created Bureaucrat Board That Could Gut Tricare

• Military veterans’ groups are urging Democrats to abandon IPAB, the Medicare-gutting bureaucrat board created under ObamaCare. These organizations believe IPAB’s cuts could limit access to care for military retirees who use Tricare, the military health insurance program.
• With the Obama administration’s attempt to further strengthen IPAB, the worst fears about the panel may be coming true. Even when IPAB was first created, a military family advocacy group pointed out that IPAB’s Medicare cuts could have an adverse impact on those who use Tricare.
• Doctor and patient advocates continue to urge Democrats to abandon their allegiance to IPAB, but Democrats refuse to budge in their defense of ObamaCare.

Military veterans’ groups are urging Democrats to abandon IPAB, the Medicare-gutting bureaucrat board created under ObamaCare. These organizations believe IPAB’s cuts could limit access to care for military retirees who use Tricare, the military health insurance program:

NATIONAL MILITARY VETERANS ALLIANCE REPRESENTING 35 MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS AND 3.5 MILLION MEMBERS CALLS FOR IPAB REPEAL: (Statement of the National Military Veterans Alliance, Letter to House Committee on Ways & Means, 3/6/2012)

GIVEN LINKAGE BETWEEN MEDICARE AND TRICARE, “WE HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE IPAB INDIRECT IMPACT UPON MILITARY RETIREES”: “As you know, almost one third of our nation’s 24 million veterans are over the age of 65, and the vast majority of them live in households in which at least one person receives Medicare benefits.  Thus the impact of any change in Medicare services is felt both immediately and directly by them. Moreover, because Medicare reimbursement rates and coverage determinations are standard measures for some provisions of TRICARE as well as a number of private insurance programs, we have real concerns about the IPAB indirect impact upon military retirees now and particularly in the future as its scope of authority expands.” (Statement of the National Military and Veterans Alliance, Letter to House Committee on Ways & Means, 3/6/2012)

With the Obama administration’s attempt to further strengthen IPAB, the worst fears about the panel may be coming true. Even when IPAB was first created, a military family advocacy group pointed out that IPAB’s Medicare cuts could have an adverse impact on those who use Tricare:

TRICARE’S REIMBURSEMENT RATES TIED TO MEDICARE: “One particular concern is rising fees. Tricare’s reimbursement rates to private caregivers generally are tied to those of Medicare, and many doctors say Medicare’s reimbursement rates already are too low.” (William H. McMichael, “Tricare and Health Reform: What It Could Mean in the Long Run,” The Air Force Times, 3/21/2012)

FEARS THAT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE THROUGH TRICARE COULD BE JEOPARDIZED BY CUTS TO MEDICARE: “That raises concerns that the Pentagon may one day have to shore up Tricare’s reimbursement rates by increasing its already considerable funding support for the program or raising patients’ fees and co-pays — or both — to keep private-sector doctors from dropping Tricare-eligible patients if they think they can make more money treating the influx of private-sector patients that will be generated by the reform law.” (William H. McMichael, “Tricare and Health Reform: What It Could Mean in the Long Run,” The Air Force Times, 3/21/2012)

ADDITIONAL CONCERNS THAT THOSE ON TRICARE MIGHT BE FORCED TO LOSE THE CARE THEY HAVE, ENTER OBAMACARE’S NEW HEALTHCARE EXCHANGES: “If reimbursement rates for care are higher in the health care exchanges, for example, more providers might gravitate toward that population, [National Military Family Association Deputy Director for Government Relations Barbara] Cohoon said.

” ‘We won’t really know until we see how the [health care] exchanges shake out,’ she said.”(William H. McMichael, “Tricare and Health Reform: What It Could Mean in the Long Run,” The Air Force Times, 3/21/2012)

YET DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN IPAB EVEN FURTHER:

WHITE HOUSE LOBBIED AGAINST IPAB REPEAL: “Democratic sources said Tuesday that White House aides were reaching out to Members to keep them from peeling off when the measure comes to a vote on the floor. Democratic House leaders rigorously whipped colleagues against voting for the GOP’s full health care repeal last year, but they have not done the same for the more targeted repeal measures that have come forward.” (Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

“OBAMA BUDGET WANTS MORE TEETH” FOR IPAB: (Phillip Klein, “Obama Budget Wants More Teeth for Medicare Board,” The Washington Examiner, 2/13/2012)

OBAMA BUDGET CLAIMS IT “STRENGTHENS THE INDEPENDENT PAYMENT ADVISORY BOARD”:“In addition, it strengthens the Independent Payment Advisory Board to reduce long-term drivers of Medicare cost growth.” (p. 112, “The Budget for Fiscal Year 2013: Department of Health and Human Services,”The White House, 2/13/2012)

OBAMA’S HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS REFERRED TO IPAB AS “A KEY PART OF THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN”: (Kathleen Sebelius, “IPAB Will Protect Medicare,” Politico, 6/23/2011)

Doctor and patient advocates continue to urge Democrats to abandon their allegiance to IPAB, but Democrats refuse to budge in their defense of ObamaCare:

IPAB’S CUTS “WOULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN ACCESS TO CARE”: “The Independent Payment Advisory Board, created under the health care law to help control Medicare costs, lacks flexibility to do much more than cut provider payments that would lead to a reduction in access to care, witnesses told a House Ways and Means panel March 6.” (Ralph Lindeman, “IPAB Would Reduce Access to Care, Witnesses Tell Ways and Means Panel,” Bloomberg, 3/7/2012)

41 DOCTORS’ GROUPS REPRESENTING 400,000 DOCTORS FEAR THAT “15 UNELECTED AND LARGELY UNACCOUNTABLE” BUREAUCRATS WILL MAKE MEDICARE DECISIONS, AND NONE ARE 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 UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: DOCTORS WILL “OPT OUT OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM OR BE DRIVEN OUT OF PRACTICE ALTOGETHER”: “He warned, ‘These cuts could be driven so low that physicians will be forced to limit the number of Medicare beneficiaries they see, opt out of the Medicare program, or be driven out of practice altogether.'” (Ralph Lindeman, “IPAB Would Reduce Access to Care, Witnesses Tell Ways and Means Panel,” Bloomberg, 3/7/2012)

AMERICAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: “EQUALLY TROUBLING IS THE FACT THAT THERE IS ONLY A MINORITY OF PHYSICIAN REPRESENTATION”: “Equally troubling is the fact that there is only a minority of physician representation on the board and that the IPAB is not required to hold public meetings where the voices of patients, caregivers and other health‐care stakeholders can be heard.” (Michael J. King, American Podiatric Medical Association,” Letter to House Energy & Commerce Committee, 2/28/2012)

“ESSENTIALLY, IPAB TAKES THE DUTY OF CUTTING MEDICARE OUT OF CONGRESS’ HANDS”: (Kate Pickert, “On Health Care and Deficit, Obama Punts (Mostly) and Invites a GOP Fight,” Time, 4/13/2011)

AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION: CONCERNS THAT “QUALITY CARE FOR OUR PARENTS WILL BE JEOPARDIZED”: “We are concerned that, by removing Congressional authority over the Medicare payment system and placing such unprecedented authority in an unelected body, quality care for our patients will be jeopardized.  We are equally concerned with the potential that physicians may be subjected to a double jeopardy in  Medicare payments if IPAB cuts  are  coupled with those projected under the current sustainable growth rate (SGR). The current instability and inequities in Medicare physician payments is hindering access to care for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.  IPAB would only exacerbate this problem.” (Martin S. Levine, American Osteopathic Association, Letter to House Energy & Commerce Committee, 2/28/2012)

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, WITH 75,000 MEMBERS, CALLS FOR IPAB REPEAL: (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)