Does Congress Need IPAB?

Two House committees meet this week to mark-up the bill repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board, an executive-branch board with control over Medicare prices that even Democrats do not like. A bill from Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., to repeal IPAB, has 19 Democratic cosponsors.

The IPAB garners ire upon Capitol Hill because the law gives the 15-member board energy to cut Medicare payment rates to doctors and hospitals without congressional approval. To override the board, Congress must pass its own equivalent cut with the supermajority.

Congress doesn't have the great track record when it comes to Medicare prices. One easy example: the sustainable growth rate that controls Medicare physician payments. Democrats and Republicans want to get absolved of it, but can't agree how to do it. Should the executive branch get to control Medicare pricing? The executive branch controls the money supply by the Federal Reserve - is IPAB really that different?

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