DJP Update 7-11-2011 IPAB alert in Washington, DC – Lots happening; stop by or tune in
Much activity this week in Washington, DC in Congress and elsewhere regarding the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) of the Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act of 2010. At 30,000 feet in commercial jet as I write this update. House committees take place on Tuesday & Wednesday plus other meetings. Momentum is moving against IPAB. Over 270 organizations oppose it as does AMA policy. AMA policy is to oppose it and work to repeal it.
Those are the facts without opinion.
Now a tad of opinion. Both of these items are misnomers. The IPAB should be called the unaccountable price-fixing scheme guaranteed to decrease access to medical care (UDAC or Unaccountable Decrease Access to Care). The PPACA gives America a nationwide experiment of central control, enhanced bureaucracy, and price-fixing that without a doubt will not decrease spending in the healthcare system nor will it improve quality or access. How any scientist could support this recreation of schemes that are a failure in Great Britain, Canada, and Sweden remain a mystery to me. Will not go into the violation of liberty with the individual mandate. Various names come to mind for this law.
If you thought the SGR price-fixing was a disaster, wait until you see (experience) IPAB. It consists of fifteen individuals appointed by the president and they will reduce money for Medicare if projections of per capita spending are exceeded. Congress only can give an alternative that decreases the same amount of money or in a short period of time, or try to override with a 2/3 vote. Otherwise the cuts go into effect. The duration of IPAB appears to be eternal. AND there is no judicial or administrative appeal! In America? Wow! One more thing: The vote in IPAB can take place with a quorum and only a majority is needed. Thus it is possible that 5 people will be making these decisions if the quorum or 8 occurs. Now IPAB is not allowed to ration care by the wording in PPACA. But keep in mind if the funding is gone, the care is unlikely to occur. More Humpty Dumpty legislative wording. And do not forget, PPACA does not allow balance-billing or contract with the patient just as Medicare does not. Remember Section 1801 of Medicare: No Federal interference with practice of medicine. NOT TRUE.
But I repeat what I have said in other DJP Updates and some will instruct me to remove them from these mailings because they strongly disagree with my opinion of PPACA. I understand most of the time why they depart. Why two people wanted to be removed when I reported immediately that President Obama informed us that dramatic Sunday night that Osama Bin Laden was killed by the heroic Seal Team 6 will remain a mystery. I thought that was good news that would be welcomed by all Americans.
The joy of being in America and having the U.S. Constitution. The joy of being able to voice opinion and marshall the facts. Those without the facts sometimes attack and do demagoguery. That is sad. In time the facts will demonstrate the failure of PPACA unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional first as I believe it will.
Back to the facts.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I will join Mr. Avik Roy at the Heritage Foundation event in the Longworth Congressional office building to discuss IPAB and an alternative free market approach to healthcare financing. Read an article by Mr. Roy’s at: http://onforb.es/nfGTES
DJPNEWS tweet:
Thx. RT @aviksaroy: Mr. Roy Goes to Washington (to testify before Congress): http://onforb.es/nfGTES @Forbes @Heritage @DJPNews #IPAB #hcr
It is a box lunch event and is open to the public.
Location & Time: 1310 Longworth, from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
RSVP to Landon Zinda at 202-608-6205
Moderator: Nina Owcharenko, Director, Health Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation.
TITLE: IPAB & Rationing or Competition & Choice
In the afternoon, i will be recorded in a video at the Heritage Foundation for online use.
On Wednesday morning I will give a breakfast presentation to staffers and folks in Congress about IPAB.
Meanwhile, there is a big hearing on IPAB in the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Finance Committee.
Here are the participants. See who is there and who is not. You may be able to follow on C-Span or record it for later viewing. Not certain it it will be on C-Span but it is likely.
On July 13, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, the
Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing entitled “IPAB: The Controversial Consequences
for Medicare and Seniors.”
The hearing will consist of four panels. The first panel will be composed of Members of
Congress. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify on the second
panel. The third panel will be composed of researchers from the Congressional Research Service
and various policy analysts. The fourth panel will consist of stakeholders.
I. Witnesses:
First panel
The Honorable John Cornyn, Senator (TX)
The Honorable Allyson Schwartz (PA-13)
The Honorable David P. Roe (TN-01)
The Honorable George Miller (CA-07)
Second Panel
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
Third Panel
Chris Davis, Legislative Analyst, Congressional Research Service
David Newman, Financial Analyst, Congressional Research Service
Diane Cohen, Senior Attorney, Goldwater Institute
Judy Feder, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Avik Roy, Healthcare Analyst, Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.
Stuart Guterman, Senior Program Director, The Commonwealth Fund
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Fourth Panel
Dr. Alex Valadka, Chief Executive Officer, Seton Brain and Spine Institute
Mary Grealey, President, Healthcare Leadership Council
Theresa Morrow, Founder, Women Against Prostate Cancer
Dr. Jack Lewin, Chief Executive Officer, American College of Cardiology
———
Meanwhile, a hearing in the HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE:
House
Tuesday, July 12
10:00 a.m. – House Budget Committee
The Committee will hold a hearing entitled, “Medicare’s Future: An Examination of the Independent Payment Advisory Board.” Witnesses scheduled include:
- Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum
- Grace-Marie Turner, President, Galen Institute
- Judith Feder, Fellow, The Urban Institute, and Professor and former Dean, Georgetown Public Policy Institute
——–
More from the talented Grace-Marie Turner on PPACA at: http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c80eb2149ef4fa70ce2c72ef1&id=2f565c7d20&e=07a084ce60
——–
One more item. Two tweets at DJPNEWS:
Sad #Congress didn’t study what happens with gov control healthcare before jamming #PPACA into law: Sweden http://tinyurl.com/dn3auu #hcr
———-
Yes, people die on wait lists for medical care; having gov insurance card no guarantee timely medical care. http://tinyurl.com/dn3auu #hcr
———
Stay well.
Donald
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