IPAB repeal progresses in the House

On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation that would eliminate the health law's Independent Payment Advisory Board. The bill could be considered by the full House as early as the week of March 19, and it could attract some Democratic support.

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: House Republicans Find Democratic Allies In IPAB Repeal Effort
Later this month, just as the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the 2010 health law, the House is expected to pass a measure that would repeal an advisory board created in the law to curb Medicare spending if it exceeds specific targets. But the debate is not shaping up like the usual House legislative fight over the law, where Republicans want to either strike a particular provision or repeal the whole thing and Democrats fight back to stop it (Carey, 3/8). 

CQ HealthBeat: Second House Panel Approves Bill Repealing Medicare Board
The House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation Thursday that would eliminate an independent board charged with curbing Medicare spending growth, days after the bill was advanced by the Energy and Commerce panel. The amended measure, approved by voice vote, would abolish the 15-member Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel created by the 2010 health care overhaul. Floor consideration is expected as early as the week of March 19, according to the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va (Khatami, 3/8).

Politico Pro: W.H. To Dems: Don't Support IPAB Repeal
The White House is pushing back against Democrats who are considering supporting a Republican bill to repeal the health care reform law's Independent Payment Advisory Board, showing a greater concern about this vote than they have about other efforts to roll back the law. The Obama administration is trying to limit the damage on a potentially overwhelmingly bipartisan repeal vote. House Republicans have timed the vote -; slated for the week of March 19 -; to fall just ahead of two high-profile events for the law: its two-year anniversary on March 23 and the Supreme Court arguments on its constitutionality on March 26 (Haberkorn, 3/8).