May 23rd, 2011

Nationwide newspaper USA Today recently published an op-ed written by Pennsylvania Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, on why she believes the federal government should repeal that part of the healthcare reform law that established the Independent Payment Advisory Board for Medicare.

Writes Rep. Schwartz:

The health care reform law signed by President Obama last year was based on three interrelated tenets: expanding access to coverage; strengthening quality and innovation; and demanding greater efficiency and effectiveness. Together, these efforts will improve patient outcomes and reduce the rate of growth in health care spending.

The potential for savings is significant. The law will reduce the deficit by $210 billion over 10 years and $1 trillion over 20 years. And that’s just the beginning.  But the new law is not perfect. It established an Independent Payment Advisory Board — known by the acronym IPAB — a group of 15 people appointed by the president and charged with curtailing the rate of growth and spending under Medicare, solely through changes to provider reimbursements.

We all agree that Medicare costs must be contained and that the payment system is flawed and needs to be replaced. But simply cutting reimbursements is not the answer. IPAB brings unpredictability and uncertainty to providers and has the potential for stifling innovation and collaboration.

Read the entire piece at USA Today.