Society Opposes Independent Payment Advisory Board

One of the challenges in health care reform is to prolong the solvency of the Medicare program, which is currently scheduled to be insolvent by 2017. In order to achieve the required cost savings, one of the provisions in health care reform legislation passed by the Senate is the creation of an Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

On January 11, 2010, the Heart Rhythm Society was one of 73 health care organizations signing a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House of Representatives expressing our strong opposition to the establishment of IPAB. The letter urges these Congressional leaders to eliminate this proposal from the final health care reform bill as they work to reconcile difference between the House and the Senate-passed health care reform bills. Read the full letter (PDF, 20K)

IPAB would be composed of 15 officials appointed by the President of the United States and would have broad discretionary authority to make radical changes in the structure of the Medicare program. It would be tasked with presenting Congress with comprehensive proposals to reduce excess cost growth and improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. In years when Medicare costs are projected to be unsustainable, the Board’s proposals will take effect unless Congress passes an alternative measure that achieves the same level of savings.

The Society is extremely concerned that this proposal usurps congressional oversight of the Medicare program and that it would greatly limit the ability of Medicare beneficiaries, advocates and providers to work with Congress to improve the program, making it especially difficult to include coverage for new and better treatments, procedures and technologies.