Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) said on C-SPAN Wednesday morning that the Independent Payments Advisory Board (IPAB)--the so-called "death panel" of Obamacare, which will cut Medicare costs by restricting care--should be "revisited."
His comments came as more Democrats are joining calls to amend Obamacare, in particular by supporting the Keep Your Health Plan Act, proposed by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), which would fulfill President Barack Obama's oft-repeated promise that patients could keep their existing health insurance.Cardin was responding to a caller who had expressed concerns about the constitutionality of the IPAB, which former White House Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag has championed as a central part of Obamacare.
Cardin said, via the Washington Free Beacon:
"The Affordable Care Act contains many provisions. I strongly supported the bill itself. But in terms of that particular provision, I agree, there are certain concerns that I have. The purpose of the board is to make sure that health care costs are maintained at a reasonable level and that there is an objective review of the payments made under the healthcare system. That was the main purpose of this board in its report. It comes into effect under certain circumstances. It has not been implemented yet, but it is a provision in the law that needs to be revisited to make sure the concerns you expressed do not occur."
Former Gov. Sarah Palin once called the IPAB a "death panel," and was mocked for doing so. Now, however, it appears that Democrats are worrying about political backlash against the IPAB from their constituents.
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