Subject: H.R. 1190, the “Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act”
Dear Chairman Ryan and Ranking Member Levin,
On behalf of the undersigned medical organizations, representing 450,000 physicians and the
patients they serve, we urge you to pass out of committee H.R. 1190, the “Protecting Seniors’
Access to Medicare Act.” Created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the IPAB is a government
board whose sole job is to cut Medicare spending, and this bill will repeal this deleterious provision
of the ACA. This bipartisan legislation currently has over 230 cosponsors.
From the beginning of Medicare, members of Congress have played an essential role in shaping
policies that best meet the needs of their communities and constituents to ensure that the healthcare
system is equipped to care for diverse populations across the country. 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 healthcare providers, and none is permitted to be practicing physicians or be
otherwise employed. Thus, not only does the creation of IPAB severely limit congressional
authority, but it essentially eliminates the transparency of hearings, debate, and a meaningful
opportunity for critical stakeholder input.
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Read full letter here
