Congressman Tom Cole
The Supreme Court is still deliberating the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law, but the court of public opinion has already returned its verdict. Surveys show that a majority of Americans believe the law’s individual mandate provision, which would force every citizen to purchase health insurance or pay a fine, is unconstitutional. Public opinion polls also show the law remains just as unpopular today as it was when Democrats forced it through the Pelosi/Reid Congress two years ago over widespread protests.
Since taking control of the House last year, Republicans have voted 25 times to repeal, dismantle and defund this misguided law before it can do any more damage to the economy. Even though it hasn’t yet been fully implemented, Obamacare is already stifling job creation and interfering with Americans’ health care choices. New nonpartisan studies show the law’s negative impact will be even worse than previously thought — costing taxpayers $1.8 trillion and forcing between 3 and 5 million Americans out of their employer-provided coverage each year from 2019 through 2022.
While provisions like the individual mandate are well-known, some less prominent Obamacare policies are just as troubling. Chief among these is the clause establishing the “Independent Payment Advisory Board” (IPAB). As envisioned under Obamacare, IPAB would grant 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats the authority to determine cuts to Medicare.
It’s not an exaggeration to describe IPAB as a rationing board. The panel of presidential appointees would have extraordinary power to make decisions about Medicare benefits. If IPAB deemed some procedures and services “unnecessary,” they would have the authority to cut reimbursement rates for those services. Many physicians have already stopped treating Medicare patients because reimbursement rates are 20 percent lower than rates for patients covered by private health plans. Lowering rates further, which is what IPAB is specifically tasked to do, would severely jeopardize access to care for seniors. There is little Congress could do to prevent IPAB-recommended Medicare cuts from being implemented. Provided the president agrees with what his hand-selected board proposes, a supermajority vote of Congress would be required to override the decision.
To prevent such an unacceptable outcome, defund and dismantle this deeply unpopular law that raises health costs, decreases access to care and stifles job creationl, defund and dismantle this deeply unpopular law that raises health costs, decreases access to care and stifles job creation.House Republicans approved the Protecting Access to Healthcare Act (PATH). The legislation would repeal IPAB and would also help lower health care costs by implementing sensible medical liability reform.
Medical decisions should be made by Medicare patients and their doctors — not by a panel of government appointees selected by the president. By repealing this outrageous policy, House Republicans will protect seniors’ access to health care and come one step closer to abolishing the president’s deeply unpopular law. Whatever the outcome of the Supreme Court decision, conservatives will continue working to make health care more accessible and affordable by ensuring that patients — not the federal government — are in control.
