House Moves to Repeal Dems’ Bureaucrat Board With Power to Deny Care and Increase Costs

March 19, 2012

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-12), John Barrow (GA-12), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-24), Ben Chandler (KY-06), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-16), Mark Critz (PA-12), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Kathy Hochul (NY-26), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-09), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Betty Sutton (OH-16), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)

House Moves to Repeal Kissell’s Bureaucrat Board With Power to Deny Care and Increase Costs
North Carolina Democrat’s Government Takeover of Healthcare Empowers Bureaucrats to Deny Care and Increase Costs for Seniors

WASHINGTON — Larry Kissell’s ardent defense of the Democrat government takeover of healthcare (Roll Call #14, 1/19/11) will be put to another test this week as the House votes on a repeal of the particularly unpopular Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). This panel of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats was empowered by Kissell’s government healthcare takeover to slash Medicare payments, which would deny care for seniors currently relying on the program.

“Larry Kissell’s government takeover of healthcare relies on a panel of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats to deny care and increase costs for seniors, in typical big-government fashion,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “It’s no wonder opposition to this disastrous aspect of Kissell’s healthcare takeover ranges from seniors relying on Medicare to the American Medical Association.”

A vote to repeal the Democrats’ Medicare gutting board of bureaucrats is set for later this week:

“House Republicans have set up a vote next week to repeal a board created by the 2010 healthcare law that the GOP has criticized as a rationing board that could force Medicare cuts without congressional approval.” (Pete Kasperowicz, “House to vote on health board repeal,” The Hill‘s Healthwatch Blog, 3/13/12)

These efforts come as a result of the deep unpopularity of the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare, and specifically their Medicare cutting panel:

“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, 3/7/12)

Regardless, the Obama Administration is instructing House Democrats to stand strong and defend their massively unpopular Medicare slashing board:

“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.” (Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/12)

House Moves to Repeal Dems’ Bureaucrat Board With Power to Deny Care and Increase Costs http://ow.ly/9K1Fa #codered

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