We Call It ‘Rationing,’ Obama Calls It ‘Medicare I

We Call It ‘Rationing,’ Obama Calls It ‘Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board’

We shouldn't let either Obama's IPAB or Congress control our health care.


One of President Obama’s key proposals to reduce skyrocketing Medicare costs is a so-called Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The IPAB would consist of 15 members appointed by the president (and confirmed by the Senate), empowered to decide what medical tests and procedures Medicare would cover and how much it would pay providers.

As the Wall Street Journal notes, the IPAB’s decisions wouldn’t be subject to judicial or administrative review. They would go to Congress for an up-or-down vote, and would go into effect unless Congress adopted its own plan to reduce Medicare spending by an equivalent amount.

Supporters of the IPAB liken it to the Clinton-era independent Base Realignment and Closure Commission to reduce military spending free from political pressures from influential congressmen seeking to keep their own home district military bases open.

However, giving this power to the IPAB would put tremendous medical decision-making in the hands of unelected officials with minimal accountability. We’ve already seen a foretaste of this when a federal government medical panel attempted to save money by restricting screening mammography to women over age 50, even though decades of medical research has shown clear benefits to starting annual mammograms at age 40. Although the Obama administration stated that the IPAB would not ration medical care, its power to set payments to doctors and hospitals would give it de facto rationing power.

don't worry the Progressives / Socialists will find a way to force them back

[BOP]

Originally Posted by EmptyTimCup

don't worry the Progressives / Socialists will find a way to force them back

And, at the same time, they're forcing people who don't want to be enrolled in Medicare (part A) to do so anyway:

If You Don't Want Medicare Part A--Too Bad Says Court to Federal Retirees

A recent federal court decision will have significant repercussions for federal retirees who prefer to keep their health benefits program in retirement rather than go under Medicare Part A (hospitalization) coverage.

In Hall v. Sebelius (D.D.C. Civil Action No. 08-1715(RMC), 3/16/11), plaintiffs are retired from Federal employment, have reached 65 years of age, are receiving Social Security benefits, are entitled to Medicare Part A benefits but want to continue their Federal Employees Health Benefit program coverage, want to waive their Medicare Part A coverage, and want to continue receiving their Social Security annuity.

The Department of Health and Human Services insists that the only way plaintiffs can waive Part A Medicare coverage is to waive their right to receive Social Security and to repay any Social Security benefits that they have received up to the time of the waiver.

The federal retirees argued to the court that this requirement to waive Social Security and pay it back in order to waive Part A is contrary to the law.

[ImnoMensa]

Originally Posted by BOP

And, at the same time, they're forcing people who don't want to be enrolled in Medicare (part A) to do so anyway:

If You Don't Want Medicare Part A--Too Bad Says Court to Federal Retirees

A recent federal court decision will have significant repercussions for federal retirees who prefer to keep their health benefits program in retirement rather than go under Medicare Part A (hospitalization) coverage.

In Hall v. Sebelius (D.D.C. Civil Action No. 08-1715(RMC), 3/16/11), plaintiffs are retired from Federal employment, have reached 65 years of age, are receiving Social Security benefits, are entitled to Medicare Part A benefits but want to continue their Federal Employees Health Benefit program coverage, want to waive their Medicare Part A coverage, and want to continue receiving their Social Security annuity.

The Department of Health and Human Services insists that the only way plaintiffs can waive Part A Medicare coverage is to waive their right to receive Social Security and to repay any Social Security benefits that they have received up to the time of the waiver.

The federal retirees argued to the court that this requirement to waive Social Security and pay it back in order to waive Part A is contrary to the law.

Didn't Obama just accuse Ryan of ruining Medicare with his new Budget Bill.

I guess he is trying to beat Ryan to it.