On the recordMarch 21, 2012
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5, the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare Act of 2012, which also contains H.R. 452, the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2012. I'm a cosponsor of both of these very important pieces of legislation. The Independent Payment Advisory Board, IPAB, must be repealed, as this board will have extremely negative consequences on American families' health care. This board of unelected members will be making decisions for tens of thousands of Medicare patients. The power to control the purse strings will give enormous power to control what type of care a patient receives. I strongly believe that physicians and patients are in the best position to decide their own health care, and IPAB must be repealed. In addition, the HEALTH Act is absolutely needed. I've been working on medical malpractice issues since my time in the Ohio General Assembly when we passed successful tort reform. The current system is broken and places a $210 billion burden on our Nation's health system each year. H.R. 5 will bring savings for patients and doctors, and is an important step in helping to make sure our Medicare liability system works in this country. I support both bills. ____________________
