Independent Payments Advisory Board

        The Independent Payments Advisory Board or IPAB is part of Obamacare.  The job of the IPAB is to make recommendations to limit Medicare’s budget by reducing payments to doctors and health care providers.  The IPAB is consists of fifteen members that are appointed by the President.  These members are neither elected nor approved by Congress.

        Under the Affordable Care Act, (what a joke that name is) the recommendations made by the IPAB will become law unless Congress passes legislation making equal or greater cuts to Medicare.  There is a very limited time that Congress can eliminate or change the IPAB or it’s recommendations. 

        Anyone benefiting from Medicare now or in the future should be very concerned with the power of the IPAB.  We may be forced to pay for the large majority of our health care out of pocket because Medicare will only pay for a small portion of the cost.  Many people have already seen examples of this. 

        Health care is a business.  Health care providers must be able to cover costs and make some profit, and doctors must be able to make a living or they will not accept Medicare.  Many companies providing home healthcare to the elderly on Medicare will be going out of business.  What happens when people on Medicare can’t get healthcare? 

        I believe President Obama has now delayed implementation of portions of the Affordable Care Act twenty-seven times.  I do not feel any President has the authority to take this kind of liberty in choosing which laws or portion of a law to enforce. 

This is especially interesting considering we had a government shutdown because Congress was asking for some of these same delays, but they could not be granted at that time.  Why the delays now?  Simple, we have mid-term elections this year and the Democrats are in trouble with Obamacare.  If Obamacare were fully implemented and people saw how badly it would affect them personally, they would be voting for repealing the Affordable Care Act.

        I am realistic enough to realize most people do not have the time and energy to get all the political facts, until they are affected personally.  It is natural to think, “It won’t affect me.”  Unfortunately, many people will not know how Obamacare will affect them personally until after the 2014 elections.  Obamacare will affect everyone in time, and not in a good way. 

        I think Obamacare is unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court got around this by calling it a tax.  If the penalties (tax) have been delayed, does that make it unconstitutional?  Even if it is legal, it is not fair, affordable, or workable.   If we don’t get rid of Obamacare, it will evolve into a single payer system and finally, government provided healthcare. 

        I get a little mad at Obamacare supporters saying no one offers any alternatives.  First dollar medical insurance and the government caused high health care costs.  The solution is not complicated.  It is simply catastrophic medical insurance with routine health care being paid out-of-pocket or from medical savings plans.  Obama care supporters make fun of this real solution.  They have to use ridicule because they cannot refute the option with facts and data.  Sounds like politics as usual to me. 

        I hope the lie, “If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it. Period.” has affected enough people that we can make the needed changes before it is too late.  Some politicians think if they repeat the same lie over and over again, most people will believe it, and unfortunately, many people do believe the lie.  Get the facts and vote accordingly.