House votes to repeal part of health care law

Republican Rep. Phil Roe of Tennessee.

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In advance of the Supreme Court considering the constitutionality of the Democrats' sweeping health care law next week, the House voted today to repeal a provision of that bill that would create a panel charged with finding ways to bring down health care costs.

The 15-member, presidentially-appointed committee, known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), is scheduled to begin recommending cost-control measures for Medicare in 2014. Republicans argued the yet-to-be-established panel is a rationing board that would bypass congressional authority and punt on true Medicare reform.

Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN), a former physician, said during House Floor debate that"we don't want Washington-based bureaucrats getting in between the doctor-patient relationship. Decisions should not be made by health insurance and not 15 bureaucrats in Washington. It should be made between a doctor and their family."

The bill passed the House by a vote of 223 to 181, with seven Democrats voting with all but ten Republicans.

Following the vote, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) noted the two year anniversary of passage of the health care law.

"This week alone, what do we find out from the Congressional Budget Office? It's going to cost $1.8 trillion," he said. "We also found out that 20 million more Americans are going to lose their employer based health care. That's why today on the floor you saw a bipartisan vote to repeal IPAB."

While many Democrats support the repeal of IPAB, almost all opposed today's bill. That's because Republicans attached medical liability reform to the package that would cap economic damages at $250,000.

It's unlikely the bill will gain traction. The Democratic-controlled Senate has enough votes to protect IPAB from repeal, and the White House threatened to veto the bill earlier this week.

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of President Obama's signing The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law.

Democratic leadership spent the week touting the health care law and applauding President Obama for passage, though the president has no plans to celebrate the health care bill's anniversary.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday the bill would hold up the Supreme Court challenge, which begins Monday.

"We knew what we were doing when we passed this bill," Pelosi said. "It is iron-clad constitutionally."

[Ben37221]

The republicans are toxic to the health of this nation. They have no solutions to anything. All they want to do is tear down.
Prior to the 2010 elections, all the republicans use to say is where are the jobs. Since the republicans took over the house, they have been too pre-occupy with a woman's uterus that they have forgotten that the nations priority should be jobs not all the social issues they have pre-occupy themselves with.

[RobAla]

Ben: It was the Democrats that brought up the contraceptive issue as a diversion away from President Obama failed policies.

Speaking of the Republican controlled House, they repeatedly have passed a budget for the nation since 2011. Each time, the Democrat run Senate shoots it down. When the House was run by Democrats, Pelosi didn't even bother to do her job in passing a budget. The nation has not had a budget since 2009, and President Obama has exercised record breaking deficit spending.

[RobAla]

Polls show that less than 38% of Americans favor the horrible health care law. It is the worst piece of garbage to to come out of Washington in my lifetime. 27 states are suing the federal government over this piece of crap law. I can't wait for the Supreme Court to rule that the lousy individual mandate is unconstitutional.

[RobAla]

RIP: OK - a recent goofy Gallup poll pushed the numbers of those not wanting it repealed to 40%. It's easy to just call someone a liar, but you really ought to consider facts.

RCP Average 2/14 - 3/18 -- 51.7 40.7 Favor Repeal +11.0
Rasmussen Reports 3/17 - 3/18 3500 LV 56 39 Favor Repeal +17
Rasmussen Reports 3/3 - 3/4 1000 LV 53 42 Favor Repeal +11
Gallup** 2/19 - 2/20 1040 A 47 44 Favor Repeal +3
Quinnipiac 2/14 - 2/20 2605 RV 52 39 Favor Repeal +13
Rasmussen Reports 2/18 - 2/19 1000 LV 53 38 Favor Repeal +15
Rasmussen Reports 2/4 - 2/5 1000 LV 54 41 Favor Repeal +13
Rasmussen Reports 1/21 - 1/22 1000 LV 52 41 Favor Repeal +11
Rasmussen Reports 1/7 - 1/8 1000 LV 54 42 Favor Repeal +12
Rasmussen Reports 12/22 - 12/22 1000 LV 53 39 Favor Repeal +14
Rasmussen Reports 12/10 - 12/11 1000 LV 55 35 Favor Repeal +20

[soap-suds]

I wonder how many voters believe this?


See Affordable Health Care Act; Section 3403 to fact check the assertions by these politicians.

[dannysteele]

"We don't want Washington-based bureaucrats getting in between the doctor-patient relationship. Decisions should not be made by health insurance and not 15 bureaucrats in Washington. It should be made between a doctor and their family."

Unless, of course, it pertains to abortion or birth control.

[retm-w]

Yet the republicans allow the insurance companies to do the exact same thing. Or do they believe insurance companies don't have highly paid panals that deny procedures, tests and medications.

[liberallioness]

I worked for TWO of them in the 90's as a claimns processor. Disgusting all the insipid ways they have of denying claims and then when I worked in medical billing for all the years after that? Getting them to pay was the biggest part of my job besides having to write off thousands of dollars a month in unreimbursed medical due to patient's inability to pay who either had no insurance or were UNDERINSURED since collections was the other part of my job. Medicare Advantage and Replacement plans are the biggest racket going and seniors who had them could'nt wait to get rid of them to get back on traditional MC & their Medigap plans, et al when I billed for a major cardiolgy practice in my city. If your senior family member or someone you is thinking about BC/BS Secure Horizons, Humana or one these MC HMO's, TALK THEM OUT OF IT. They're CRAP!!!

[DebbieCorona]

So as I see it the GOP wants to cut Medicare for Seniors and Cut a panel that would focus on cutting costs to healthcare. Basically, besides the war on women it appears the GOP has a war on seniors and anyone who ever needs a doctor. Good for insurance companies but bad for doctors as there will soon be no need for them. If only 1% hold the wealth and have the money for healthcare we have 99% too many doctors. Pink slips for doctors. Same for the drug companies. You might find the cure for cancer but only 1% will afford the new drug/procedure.

[xanderoth]

You are all retarded. No one WANTS to cut healthcare for anyone, they want to afford to pay for things. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just give everyone in the country free education, healthcare, food, homes, and retirement? Too bad, because there isn't enough money in the world. I understand spending money to help people and save lives and make lives better, but at what cost? Think of it this way, is it worth it to spend a million dollars to save one life? Ten million? A hundred? A billion? A trillion? Unfortunately you HAVE to assign a value to the human life in that scenario, no matter how much you want to say no. Same with all these unsustainable programs. 1.5 trillion plus in Medicaid and social security alone each year, and those costs are going to skyrocket with the boomer retirements, not to mention the fact you will lose 1/3 of the workforce to retirement/AKA a large portion of the tax revenues (as boomers tend to have higher wages in the USA).

[thomasmc1957]

Anyone who didn't think Republicans were in bed with the insurance companies, should now know better!

[thomasmc1957]

Yes, by God, heaven forbid we should look into ways to lower health care costs!