House vote on IPAB repeal scheduled for today

The full House is scheduled to vote today on legislation that would repeal the health law's Independent Payment Advisory Board. Some supporters have been frustrated by the measure's link to medical tort reforms, which drove some Democrats, who initially favored rejection of the panel, to oppose the overall bill.

The Associated Press: House To Vote On Repealing Medicare Cost Board
The House is set to vote Thursday on repealing a new Medicare cost-control board that few people have ever heard of. The Independent Payment Advisory Board was created by President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law to keep Medicare costs from zooming out of control. Called IPAB for short, the panel has yet to be appointed. But that hasn't stopped Republicans from labeling it a rationing panel (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/22).

The Hill: Health Board Repeal Advances In House, Six-Hour Debate Ahead
The House on Wednesday afternoon approved legislation that would repeal the healthcare law's Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and also institute medical tort reform. Members approved the rule for the bill in a 233-182 vote that only five Democrats supported. While some Democrats support IPAB repeal, many oppose the GOP's vision of tort reform, and are thus expected to oppose the package (Kasperowitz, 3/21).

Roll Call: Democrats Offer New Argument On Health Care Act
As the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, along with Supreme Court arguments on its constitutionality, some Democrats are aggressively defending the law, essentially daring Republicans to repeal President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement. The House will vote today on whether to repeal a provision of the health care law that established an Independent Payment Advisory Board, and the floor was rife Wednesday with partisan potshots regarding the law (Strong, 3/22).

Politico Pro: IPAB-Tort Reform Link Disappoints Some
Some congressional Republicans are venting their frustrations with GOP leaders for using tort reform to pay for a repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, saying the decision ruined their shot at a successful bipartisan repeal of the board (Nocera, 3/22).

Kaiser Health News: The IPAB: The Center Of A Political Clash Over How To Change Medicare
It sounds like a new Apple product, but IPAB is actually a controversial board that is at the heart of House Republicans' efforts to upend the 2010 federal health law--or at least make it a strong campaign issue (Vaida, updated 3/21).