Healthcare Leadership Council: Subcommittee Action to Repeal IPAB a Promising Step for Patients, Healthcare Providers

WASHINGTON – Healthcare Leadership Council President Mary R. Grealy today praised members of the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee for its vote today to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a move she said is essential to maintain accessible healthcare for America’s seniors.

The subcommittee voted 17-5 today in favor of legislation that would eliminate IPAB, the 15-member board of political appointees that would be empowered to make recommendations to cut Medicare spending.  Those recommendations would go into effect unless blocked or altered by Congress.

“IPAB is the wrong solution at the wrong time for the challenges facing Medicare.  The structure is not geared toward creative solutions to bring value and cost-effectiveness to Medicare.  Rather, it will be a blunt instrument that will simply cut spending, reduce payments for healthcare services and, in so doing, reduce access to quality healthcare at a time when thousands of new beneficiaries are entering the Medicare program every day,” said Ms. Grealy.

She added, “There is bipartisan support to eliminate this ill-conceived idea, so the full Congress should move expeditiously to adopt this repeal legislation.”

Today, the Healthcare Leadership Council provided the health subcommittee with a letter signed by over 300 organizations representing patients, consumers, healthcare providers and employers, urging IPAB repeal.