WHO TAKES THE REINS ON MEDICARE COSTS?
Contrary to the implications of your article “Biotech fights Medicare cost panel” (Page A1, June 27), AARP has had significant concerns with the Independent Payment Advisory Board [IPAB] dating back to its introduction.
During the health care law debate, we fought to include important consumer protections so that the board could not cut benefits or limit access to health care to people in Medicare. We also pushed to expand the scope of the board beyond just Medicare to confront the underlying threat of rising costs throughout the health care system. More recently, we expressed concerns that the president’s fiscal plan would expand the scope of the board and repeal these very protections we fought to include.
While we remain concerned that over the longer term the board could have a negative impact on access to care, we do strongly urge Congress to maintain the consumer protections supported by AARP, including prohibitions on cutting benefits, raising seniors’ out-of-pocket costs, and rationing care. The protections we fought for would help safeguard the critical benefits that seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work. However, we will remain vigilant to protect against any proposal, including proposals to cap or arbitrarily cut Medicare, that would harm access or roll back these important consumer protections.
David Certner
Legislative Policy Director
AARP
Washington
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(Link last retrieved July 13, 2011)
