Press Releases

In Case You Missed It: Gosar Speaks in Support of Lawsuit against Independent Payment Advisory Board

Washington, DC, December 5, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) participated yesterday in a press conference with other Members of Congress who have signed onto filing a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking them to hear a legal challenge to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) created by the Affordable Care Act:

For Immediate Release
Date: December 5, 2014

Contact: Steven D. Smith
Steven.Smith@mail.house.gov

U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) participated yesterday in a press conference with other Members of Congress who have signed onto filing a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking them to hear a legal challenge to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) created by the Affordable Care Act:

“I am proud to be an ally in the fight against one of the most egregious and detrimental parts of Obamacare, threatening the ability for patients and doctors to control their healthcare decisions. As a medical professional for over twenty five years, I can attest to the harmful effect the IPAB will have on healthcare as the Obama Administration continues to push their far left ideology of government run healthcare upon the American people. The foundation of our society has always been the freedom to choose, and IPAB deliberately works to limit consumer choice.

“The effort to stop IPAB has gathered support of Republicans and Democrats alike who are working proactively to stop this disaster before it is too late. It is imperative the Supreme Court take up the legality of this unaccountable, unelected board of government bureaucrats as soon as possible. The impact will be irreversible and cripple our healthcare providers’ ability to do their jobs and take care of their patients.”

(Rep. Gosar speaking in front of the U.S. Capitol Thursday afternoon)

Background

(From the Goldwater Institute)
The IPAB is a 15-member board created to set reimbursement rates for Medicare and to determine which procedures, treatments and drugs will and will not be covered by the government programs that pay for the medical treatment of more than 48 million Americans. IPAB decisions cannot be challenged in court and the Board itself cannot be repealed except for during a short window in 2017.

These features are unique to the IPAB. Never in American history has another board been created with such broad authority to impact government rulemaking that cannot be challenged in court or repealed. The brief filed on December 4, 2014, urges the U.S. Supreme Court to accept a legal challenge to the IPAB filed by the Goldwater Institute.

Congressman Gosar is an original cosponsor of H.R. 351, introduced by Congressman Phil Roe (TN-01), to repeal the IPAB which has 227 sponsors.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether or not to take the case, Coons v. Lew, by June 30, 2015. Read the Congressional amicus brief HERE.

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