(Washington, DC) – Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., (R-South Louisiana) released the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee recently voted to repeal Obamacare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) by a bipartisan vote of 17-5:

“Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle agree we must not allow 15 unelected bureaucrats to harm seniors with arbitrary Medicare physician payment cuts. Seniors already face access problems due to existing yearly automatic Medicare cuts for doctors. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius misleads seniors by calling these new cuts harmless ‘recommendations.’ IPAB’s cuts will limit seniors’ access to medical specialists and have the force of law on their side unless blocked by a supermajority in the U.S. Senate.

“The President’s healthcare bill vests too much power with IPAB by attempting to have the executive branch seize more power from the legislative branch. The IPAB panel’s recommendations would not be subject to public comment prior to being issued nor would they be subject to any judicial review. Medicare decision makers must be held accountable for their actions.”

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