Wyden Introduces Bill To Weaken IPAB

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a bill and a resolution that would prevent the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) process from moving forward. The resolution comes before the February 1st statutory deadline required to discontinue the process.

The IPAB was set up under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to make recommendations to reduce Medicare spending if it exceeds a certain target. IPAB is controversial because the ACA makes it challenging for Congress to change Medicare payment cuts recommended by the board. If triggered, the IPAB makes annual recommendations that will automatically become law if Congress does not replace them with some alternatives that save as much money.

The resolution can be found here. The bill can be found here.