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On March 29, United States Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced S.668, The Health Care Bureaucrats Elimination Act, legislation that would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Sections 3403 and 10320 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) created the IPAB. ASA strongly opposed the inclusion of IPAB in PPACA and supports the repeal of IPAB.
IPAB is a new independent commission tasked with putting forth proposals to “reduce cost growth” and “improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.” The commission must recommend cost-saving initiatives to reduce per capita Medicare spending that exceeds a government determined threshold. The Commission is also authorized to make recommendations to “constrain the rate of growth in the private sector” as well. The Commission’s recommendations can become law without Congressional action and cannot be challenged in court. IPAB is effective January 1, 2014.
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), John McCain (R-AZ), Tom Coburn (R-OK), John Barrasso (R-WY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and John Thune (R-SD).
Legislation to repeal IPAB (H.R. 452) has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Phil Roe (R-TN).
Click here to read the text of the legislation.
Click here to read a press release sent out by Senator Cornyn on the introduction of this legislation.
