[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5221-5222]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the signing of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act was historic. In addition to providing coverage and 
lowering health insurance costs for millions of Americans, the 
legislation will truly transform how care is delivered in the United 
States. As part of this new law, we are improving Medicare for the 
seniors and people with disabilities who depend on the program, 
extending the solvency of the program, and closing the prescription 
drug doughnut hole.
  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates the 
Independent Payment Advisory Board, IPAB. The Finance Committee, led by 
Chairman Baucus and Senator Rockefeller, devised the board to provide 
reason and expertise to Medicare payment policy. Experts have concluded 
that the board will in fact bend the cost curve, achieving key goals of 
health reform: lowering costs overall and increasing Medicare's 
longevity.
  Built into the IPAB are protections for beneficiaries from limits on 
care and increased costs. The Senate will

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ensure that the new board operates in a transparent way with input from 
patients, providers, and experts to guarantee the best outcomes and 
continued access to care. Moreover, we in the Senate will oversee 
Medicare and the IPAB to protect the seniors and people with 
disabilities. Medicare is one of our most treasured programs, and the 
IPAB will only improve the program for beneficiaries in the future.

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