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Obamacare's IPAB Finally Takes the Spotlight

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Wednesday, 13 July 2011 09:15

Since Obamacare was rammed into law without Democrats reading the bill and Americans vehemently opposing it, everyday it seems like a birthday party because a new present is found. It started with the waivers, which have the intent of paying back constituents and hiding the true impact of the devastating law. Other nuggets are found, some of which have often been cited as 'glitches', and are proof that nobody knew what was in the bill (Botox Queen Nancy Pelosi was right!). Beyond the lies is something that's very serious, which Democrats are trying to spin: IPAB - the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Otherwise known as death panels, the issue was finally addressed yesterday in Congress.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a stunt-double for Cruella DeVille, was questioned today by Congressman Paul Ryan (R - WI) about IPAB and its directive to ration care for senior citizens. There is a bipartisan movement to repeal the unelected, bureaucratic death panels. Sebelius, unlike the tone of her liberal counterparts, played down IPAB.

"If Congress is actually paying attention to the line of Medicare, IPAB is irrelevant."

Democrats, on the other hand, are working hard to explain that IPAB doesn't ration care. Let's take a look at what it is (from IBD):

"Under the new health law, the Independent Payment Advisory Board is charged with ensuring that Medicare's costs do not exceed certain targets beginning in 2020. IPAB will have 15 members, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They will be able to reduce Medicare's reimbursement rates but can't change Medicare eligibility or raise beneficiaries' premiums or cost sharing.

IPAB can't deny Medicare patients specific treatments directly. But it can cut rates Medicare pays to health providers."

Although Democrats carefully worded IPAB's role, the board of unelected bureaucrats will have the ability to ration care by Medicare rates. Essentially, it's just a different path to the necessity of any socialized health care system: death panels. England has them in their NHS; they're called NICE, no pun intended. NICE denies care to patients all of the time based on the cost of the operation. This is not a scare tactic, but rather a reality that's cleverly disguised in Obamacare.

IPAB has a bigger role, though, according to Superselius and many liberals that have a strong desire to destroy the greatest health care system in the world. They want IPAB to be a key component of Obamacare, particularly in its role to reduce Medicare spending by the way the program pays health care providers.

"The unelected members of IPAB will be determining spending policies that will determine whether millions of seniors have access to the care they need."

Paul Ryan understands what's really going on here, which is why he grilled the HHS Secretary, though, he unsurprisingly never received a response. A video of the exchange is below. The 15 person IPAB panel gives these unelected bureaucrats one of the most powerful positions in the government.

"The whole thing is designed to take accountability from the politicians and give 15 people this power."

Obamacare is the beginning of a government takeover of the health care industry, no matter how you put it. This has been a liberal wet dream for decades because it allows the government to control the individual. In perspective, it's incredibly disturbing that any Democrat would support Obamacare for the countless known reasons, as well as anything else that's yet to be revealed. Repeal and replace this abortion of a government-run health care system, especially IPAB.

Chuck Justice is the editor-in-chief for Habledash.