Cornyn Bill Would Eliminate Obamacares IPAB

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Seniors and their families deserve to be in control of their health care decisions not at the mercy of a board of unelected bureaucrats" said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) as he introduced the Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act to remove unelected unaccountable bureaucrats from seniors personal health decisions by repealing Obamacares Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).  

Obamacare is a terribly misguided and fundamentally flawed law that is negatively impacting Texans and Americans across the country. This bill tackles one of the laws most egregious flaws and starts the process of putting health care decisions back in the hands of patients" Cornyn said. Seniors and their families deserve to be in control of their health care decisions not at the mercy of a board of unelected bureaucrats who think they know best."

Senator Cornyn noted several additional concerns with the IPAB including:

• The IPAB gives a 15-member board of political appointees the power to make substantial changes to Medicare without full transparency and accountability to Americas seniors and their elected officials.
• It gives these unelected appointees critical authority when it comes to seniors personal health care decisions.
• The IPAB is prohibited from making any meaningful structural reforms to Medicare such as increasing premium costs for wealthier beneficiaries which would help preserve the program.
• Instead its recommendations are essentially limited to provider cuts which will further exacerbate problems of beneficiary access to physicians.
• During Congress debate over health reform 75 diverse provider groups raised serious concernsabouttheIPAB.  Their letter stated:
  • The IPAB reductions would be in addition to the…savings in provider payments already included in health care reform legislation which could jeopardize both access for Medicare beneficiaries and even infrastructure for the entire health care system."

Senator John Cornyn a Republican from Texas is the Senate Republican Whip and a member of the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees. He served previously as Texas Attorney General Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District Judge.