[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E952-E953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROTECTING SENIORS' ACCESS TO MEDICARE ACT OF 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 18, 2015

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Medicare and Social Security 
are our nation's sacred trusts with seniors and disabled Americans. 
Senior citizens in New Jersey and

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across the county have worked hard throughout their lives to provide 
for their families and help build our communities, all while making 
their fair and full contributions of taxes into the programs. It is our 
duty to respect these sacrifices and ensure that programs continue to 
deliver on promises made.
  To that end, I was proud to cosponsor and support today's House 
passage of H.R. 1190, the Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 
2015. This bipartisan legislation would completely repeal the 
Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), an unelected and 
unaccountable board of fifteen bureaucrats who would possess the power 
to determine what to pay doctors who provide critical treatments and 
services under Medicare.
  Created under the fundamentally flawed and wildly unpopular 
Affordable Care Act (ACA)--or Obamacare--IPAB's recommendations would 
be considered under fast track procedures that would limit critical 
Congressional input and oversight. Whether or not it is called 
rationing, IPAB's mandated focus on short-term savings could result in 
deep cuts to physician payments and ultimately lead doctors to stop 
seeing Medicare beneficiaries--seriously undermining seniors' 
healthcare decision making process and jeopardizing their access to 
lifesaving and quality care.
  The repeal of IPAB will allow Congress to continue focusing on 
policies to ensure that Medicare is sustainable for both current and 
future generations. Last week I was pleased to support four bills--H.R. 
2505, H.R. 2507, H.R. 2570, and H.R. 2582--that strengthen and improve 
Medicare Advantage (MA). These bills will ensure increased transparency 
and accessibility to the popular MA program which provides millions of 
Medicare beneficiaries with affordable, comprehensive, and innovative 
care plans.
  Medicare is an absolutely critical component for the delivery of 
affordable, quality healthcare services for American seniors--and I 
will continue to advocate for legislation that properly supports 
Medicare. Seniors and disabled individuals deserve better than an 
unelected board of bureaucrats that will only serve to cut payments, 
ultimately resulting in the denial of certain treatments and services 
and reduced access to care. Congress must remain focused on solutions 
that ensure Medicare is sustainable for current and future generations, 
and the repeal of IPAB is critical first step.

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