U.S. CONGRESSMAN BILL JOHNSON Proudly Representing Eastern and Southeastern Ohio

By Tom Giambroni
Salem News
Published March 24, 2012

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson joined his fellow Republican in a party-line vote seeking repeal of the board designed to control costs under President Barack Obama's health care bill.

The House voted this week to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which Republicans say will end up rationing Medicare coverage in an attempt to constrain costs under the Obama's Affordable Care Act passed two years ago.

"The truth is doctors and patients should be in charge of health care decisions, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington," Johnson said, in a news release.

IPAB would consists of 15 presidential appointees that must be confirmed by the Senate, and it has the power to force cuts on service providers if costs increase above designated levels and Congress fails to come up with a plan to address the increase. The law forbids IPAB from rationing care, shifting costs to the elderly or cutting Medicare benefits, shifting the burden to drug companies and health care service providers such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Johnson, R-Marietta, described IPAB as a key component of "President Obama's takeover of health care" and alleges it would ration health care by making medical-care decisions.

"This is wrong, Doctors and patients should decide what's best, not the government," he said, noting this was the 26th time the House has voted to kill IPAB before it can get started next year.

Johnson, who is opposed in his re-election bid this year by former congressman Charlie Wilson, called the Affordable Care Act a "disastrous law" that has failed to live up to its billing, noting that instead of creating jobs and lowering costs, it has had the opposite effect.

"Instead, over 40 percent of small businesses say the president's health care law is keeping them from growing their businesses and hiring more employees. And a recent CBO (Congressional Budget Office) report indicates the law will cost our economy over $1.7 trillion over 10 years. Finally, the law actually cut Medicare by $500 billion, placing at risk over 26,000 along the Ohio River who depend on Medicare Advantage," he said.

Johnson's solution is to replace the law with "common sense, patient-centered solutions that put patients and doctors in control, not unelected government bureaucrats in Washington."

Johnson has praised the revised plan offered by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, which would retain Medicare but give future recipients the option of using a voucher to purchase private insurance coverage. This would only affect people 55 and younger, who would be required to participate starting in 2023. The plan also gradually raises the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 by 2034.

His support of the bill has been criticized by Wilson, a Democrat, who said the plan would "kill Medicare as we know it," according to the Vindicator newspaper. Johnson said without these changes Medicare will go bankrupt in 10 years.