Paulsen Post: Working to Repeal Medicare Advisory Board

Dear Friends,

First, I just want to thank those who took the time to attend my "Congress on Your Corner" events recently. These sessions give me great input, and I appreciate hearing your views on a wide variety of issues such as high gas prices, the economy, the national debt, and health care.

This week in Washington, legislation which I cosponsored banning insider trading for members of Congress finally made its way to the President for his signature. Here is an update on some other activities for the week. Let me know whenever I can be of assistance and keep in touch. Remember to follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and get my free iPhone App.

Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress

Protecting Seniors and Strengthening Medicare

One provision in the President's new healthcare law that has been the focus of continued and vocal opposition from the healthcare community, seniors, veterans, and consumers is the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).

IPAB is a powerful new board of 15 unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats whose task will be to save Medicare money by setting reimbursement rates for specific procedures – giving them the power to severely limit seniors’ access to treatments and healthcare services. The law requires no public comment or transparency prior to an IPAB decision and prohibits judicial review.

The most unifying feature of the new board is the strong bipartisan support to repeal it. Our seniors deserve better than having a group of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats getting in between them and their doctor. This week, I joined a majority of my colleagues in the House in voting to repeal this board, and preserve the doctor-patient relationship in Medicare. 

Instead, we should strengthen and secure Medicare to protect our seniors and ensure that the program is solvent for future generations. In order to tackle the serious challenges the program is beginning to face, we need to work in a bipartisan way on sensible solutions. 

View my floor remarks in support of IPAB repeal. 

Watch my recent Fox News interview where I discuss IPAB repeal.