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Friend,

The House of Representatives, with my support, just passed the Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act (H.R. 849). This bipartisan bill repeals a federal agency called the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) that has the authority to unilaterally cut Medicare spending. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Background:

The Affordable Care Act created a federal agency called the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). IPAB is a board of 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who, in certain situations, are in control of Medicare. Unless Congress can override IPAB’s decisions by a supermajority vote, its decisions become law. 

The impact:

This powerful board of unelected bureaucrats has unprecedented authority to unilaterally cut Medicare spending – rationing seniors’ access to health care and putting the government, not patients, at the center of our health care system. 

What H.R. 849 does:

H.R. 849 is pretty straightforward: it repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board. You can read the bill here.

Why it matters:

Both Republicans and Democrats agree that putting a panel of unelected bureaucrats in charge of these critical health care decisions instead of patients and their families is not the right way to keep our promises to America’s seniors. It’s important that anyone making decisions that impact millions of Americans is also accountable to the American people.