Barletta Statement on Repeal of Obamacare Independent Payment Advisory Board

Press Release

Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement regarding the passage of the Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2015 (H.R. 1190), which repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) established under Obamacare. The IPAB is a fifteen-member board tasked with finding savings in Medicare without any additional input from Congress. Should Congress fail to modify any of IPAB's recommendations, the changes would automatically go into effect. The recommendations could have the effect of rationing health care to individuals by restricting payments to physicians who perform certain procedures, thereby making such procedures unavailable.

Barletta is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1190, which was introduced by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA).

Barletta's statement is as follows:

"Although President Obama tried to assure the country that his health care law didn't contain a so-called "Death Panel,' that's exactly what IPAB is in practice. A board of unelected federal bureaucrats should not have the power to approve or disapprove of certain procedures, and make decisions that have real life or death consequences for our nation's seniors. If a Medicare beneficiary does not receive a certain treatment from a doctor, it should be a medical decision and not a call made from behind a desk in Washington, DC."

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