[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
                  PROTECTING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE ACT

  (Mr. BASS of New Hampshire asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BASS of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, today the Congress will 
take up H.R. 5, Protecting Access to Healthcare Act. Amongst other 
things, this bill will repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, 
one of the many ill-conceived provisions that was part of the so-called 
Affordable Care Act. This independent advisory board basically has 
charged 15 unelected individuals with making decisions about what's 
covered for both patients below the age of 65 and Medicare recipients. 
It is the Affordable Care Act's way of reducing costs, i.e., telling 
doctors and patients what they can do and what they can't do. Fifteen 
unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., are going to tell you what 
you can do. They stand ahead of you and your doctor.
  Now, this bill did not make it to the floor last year. It will make 
it to the floor this year with bipartisan support. It costs $3.1 
billion, which is made up with a tort law reform provision which has 
been added. But that shows that $3.1 billion is what's saved by denying 
Americans access to health care that they've purchased or that they 
deserve. Join me in repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

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