House Subcommittee OKs IPAB repeal

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee voted 17 to 5 to do away with a Medicare cost-cutting panel derided by Republicans as a "rationing board."

The Hill: Pressure Is On Senate After House Kills Health Care Law's 'Rationing Board'
The Senate is under increasing pressure to bring up legislation repealing a key part of President Obama's healthcare law. A House subpanel on Wednesday easily approved a measure to repeal a Medicare cost-cutting panel derided by Republicans as a "rationing board." Two Democrats -; including the panel's ranking member -; crossed the aisle and joined Republicans in voting to nix the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) (Pecquet, 2/29).

Modern Healthcare: House Subcommittee Votes To Repeal IPAB
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved a bill to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board created in the health reform law. In a 17-5 vote, the panel supported the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2011, a bill introduced last year by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), a physician. Roe's bill now has 226 co-sponsors, including 17 Democrats (Zigmond, 2/29).

CQ HealthBeat: GOP Bill To Repeal Medicare Cost-Cutting Panel Advances
A House panel on Wednesday backed legislation that would abolish an independent board charged with curbing Medicare spending growth, a GOP bill that has won some Democratic supporters. The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee voted 17-5 for the measure, which would repeal the 15-person Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) created by the 2010 health care overhaul. The board -; which will comprise independent experts appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate -; is tasked with making cost-cutting recommendations if Medicare spending exceeds target growth rates (Bade, 2/29).

In other Medicare news -

CQ HealthBeat: Conrad 'Really Encouraged' About Options For Reining In Medicare Spending
The Senate Budget chairman entered Wednesday's hearing about curbing Medicare spending as a skeptic, but he left optimistic that viable options exist. "This is the most encouraging hearing on health care I've been part of in probably five years," said Kent Conrad, D-N.D. "I really think we're on the brink of finding a way forward, and I'm really encouraged by it" (Ethridge, 2/29).