Obama’s Deficit Plan: Inject IPAB With Steroids

Deficit Plan Gives More Power To ObamaCare’s Board Of Unelected Bureaucrats

“The Health Care Savings In President Obama’s $3 Trillion Deficit-Reduction Plan Include Proposals That Are Sure To Spark Fights With States, Republicans And Several Health Care Industries.”(Sam Baker, “Obama Health Cuts To Spark Fights With States, GOP, Industry Groups,” The Hill’s “Health Watch,” 9/19/11)

OBAMA WANTS TO INCREASE IPAB’S STRENGTH

Obama’s Deficit Reduction Plan Calls For Strengthening The Controversial Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) Of Unelected Bureaucrats Charged With Making Changes To Seniors’ Medicare Benefits. “The president also wants to strengthen the Independent Payment Advisory Board by reducing its growth rate target from GDP per capita plus 1 percent to plus 0.5 percent. The board, created by the health law, would have more power to consider enforcement mechanisms and value-based benefit design. The IPAB portion is likely to face strong opposition from Capitol Hill. Republicans are universally opposed to the panel, and several House Democrats have come out against it.” (Jennifer Haberkorn, “Obama Links Entitlements To Taxes,” Politico, 9/19/11)

Under Obama’s Plan, IPAB Will “Kick In” Earlier According To Obama’s Deficit Reduction Plan. “The plan proposes strengthening the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) — a cost-cutting panel created by healthcare reform that Republicans have said will ‘ration’ care. Obama’s proposal would allow the IPAB to kick in earlier.” (Sam Baker, “Obama Health Cuts To Spark Fights With States, GOP, Industry Groups,” The Hill’s “Health Watch,” 9/19/11)

·       Obama’s Plan Requires IPAB To Recommend Medicare Changes If The Program’s Growth Rate Exceeds 0.5 Percent, Instead Of The Original One Percent Called For In ObamaCare. “Among the other items in the plan is a proposal to strengthen the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). It would require the board to recommend Medicare changes to Congress if the program’s growth rate exceeds that of GDP by 0.5 percentage points, rather than one percentage point as called for by the ACA. In addition, the board would be given the ability to consider value-based design elements for the Medicare benefit.” (Austin Frakt, “Medicare Policy And Politics: The Obama Debt Reduction Plan,” Health Affairs Blog, 9/19/11)

If Approved, Obama’s Plan For IPAB Could Force Further Cuts To Medical Providers. “Obama also wants to give additional authority to a new agency called the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which could force further cuts for medical providers.” (“Obama’s Deficit Plan Targets Drug Companies, Hospitals And Future Medicare Beneficiaries,” The Associated Press, 9/20/11)

STRENGTHENING IPAB WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES

With IPAB, Obama Is Not Reducing Costs But “Limiting Or Denying Care. (Jennifer Rubin, “Obama’s Reverse Course On The Debt,” The Washington Post’s “Right Turn Blog,” 9/19/11)

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Admits That IPAB Threatens Seniors’ Access To Certain Procedures. (Kathleen Sebelius, House Energy And Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, Testimony, 7/13/11, 0:57:23/4:54:54)

Critics Of IPAB Say It Could “Stifle” Future Medical Innovations And Make Providers Limit Access To Medicare Patients. (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Big Brouhaha Over Obscure Medicare Board,” The Associated Press, 7/18/11)

Even Democrats Argue That IPAB “Could Arbitrarily Cut Services To Medicare Patients And Payments To Providers(Jennifer Haberkorn, “Democrats Split On Independent Payment Advisory Board,” Politico, 7/10/11)

IPAB Is Causing A Wedge Between Obama And Congressional Democrats(Jennifer Haberkorn, “Democrats Split On Independent Payment Advisory Board,” Politico, 7/10/11) Research: www.gop.com