Mr. Obama wants to expand the power of the Commission of 15 members, which was created by the new health care law, contain the costs of health insurance.
But not only are Republicans and some Democrats oppose the increase in the power of the Board of Directors, they also want to eliminate it completely. Opponents fear that the Panel, called the Board Advisory independent payment, would usurp the spending power of the Congress on one of the largest and most expensive social programs of the Government.
The Act cuts recommended by the appointed Presidential Committee take effect automatically unless the Congress has voted to block or modify them. In General, the federal courts could not control the actions to carry out the recommendations of the Council. The impact of the decisions of the Commission could be amplified because private insurers often use rates of Medicare as a guide or guide point in the payment of physicians, hospitals and other providers.
Last week, in his speech on the reduction of the deficit, Mr. Obama said that he wanted the beef of the powers of the reduction of the expenses of the Council of ways not specified must growth of Medicare expenditures exceed certain objectives. Supporters say that the Council will be able to make difficult decisions because it will be largely insulated from the legislative policy.
Do not agree to the legislators. Representative Paul d. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, and Chairman of the House Budget Committee, called it "rationing board" and said Congress should not "delegate decision-making of health insurance to 15 persons appointed by the President." He said the proposal of Mr. Obama would allow the Commission to "impose price controls more and more limitations on suppliers, who will eventually cut for seniors services".
Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas who introduced a bill last month to repeal the Medicare Commission, said the proposal of the Chairman "punts difficult decisions on health spending to a Council non-elected".irresponsible of bureaucrats. ?
Representative Allyson y. Schwartz, a Democrat from Pennsylvania on health issues, said: "it is our constitutional duty, as members of Congress, to take responsibility for health insurance and not return decisions to a Board of Directors." Abdicate that responsibility to insurance companies or to a non-elected commission, undermines our ability to represent our constituents, including the elderly and the disabled. ?
Ms. Schwartz signed Friday as co-author of a Bill to repeal the Council.
The Group of experts, under the Health Act, aims to reduce the rate of growth in Medicare spending per beneficiary. The Act sets annual targets - "targeting the growth rate" - for expenses Medicare below the average of the past 15 years.
Members of the Council will be subject to confirmation of the Senate - not an easy feat in the political climate today. The terms are six years. Members may serve no more than two consecutive full terms. The White House has yet to submit any warnings of candidacy for the Council.
"Legislators why?", asked the representative Pete Stark of California, senior Democrat on the Subcommittee of the ways the health.
In some respects, Mr. Stark said, extend the power of the Commission could be as bad that give vouchers to Medicare beneficiaries to buy private insurance. "In theory at least, you can define the exhibits at an appropriate level," he said. "But, in its effort to limit the growth of Medicare spending, the Commission is likely to set rates for insufficient payment for health care providers, which could endanger the care to patients."
Representative Shelley Berkley, Nevada Democrat, said she wanted to repeal the health insurance Commission. "I have great faith that this administration can bring together a strong, independent and informed Board," said Ms. Berkley, but she said that she had less confidence in future administrations.
Mark Parkinson, President of the American health care Association, which represents the nursing homes, said that its members did not like the Council, because it would allow Congress and the President of "subcontract the difficult decisions."
Yet, the idea of a more powerful Council of Medicare could be a live option if the White House insisted on it in the budget negotiations with Congress.
Mr. Obama, said last week that he would "reduce wasteful subsidies and erroneous payments," to reduce spending on prescription drugs and other measures to save 500 billion in Medicare and Medicaid in 2023. "But if we are wrong and Medicare costs increasing faster than we expect," he said, the health insurance Commission would have "the authority to make additional savings also improve Medicare."
The proposal of the Chairman to set more stringent targets for Medicare spending and establish some type of device for automatic cost reduction as a "mechanism for the application of the law", but Mr. Obama did not say exactly how it would work.
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of health and human services, described the Commission as a reinforcement "to ensure that health costs are reduced. The Council would not have to intervene if the President of the other proposals slow the growth of Medicare spending, said.
The Council is derived from proposals by Mr. Obama and Senator John d. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia.
"Policy on Medicare payments should be determined by experts, with the evidence, not by the undue influence of special interests,", said Mr. Rockefeller.
AARP, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association have expressed concern about the issue last proposal of the President.
"Based on the targets of spending arbitrary is not a good way to make health policy, especially when decisions can be left to the non-elected and irresponsible, said a. Barry Rand, Director Executive of AARP."the lobby for older Americans.
Under the Act, the Commission may make recommendations "rationing health care," increase revenue or increase the premiums of the beneficiaries, deductibles or co-payments. This increases the likelihood that the Commission will attempt to save money by trimming payments of Medicare health care providers.
