Would Dick Cheney Get a Heart Under Obamacare?

The author merely asserts, without explanation or support, that Mr. Cheney "might have" been denied a heart transplant under the Affordable Care Act. His argument is based on the unfounded assertion that the Independent Payment Advisory Board ("IPAB") will ration healthcare. In this regard, he equates cost control, one of the purposes of the IPAB (in addition to "improv[ing] the health care delivery system and health outcomes, including by promoting integrated care, care coordination, prevention and wellness, and quality and efficiency improvement; and ... protect[ing] and improv[ing] Medicare

beneficiaries’ access to necessary and

evidence-based items and services ..." (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1395kkk(c)(2)(B)(ii)(I),(II).), with rationing. The author's misconception is flatly contradicted by the language of the Affordable Care Act itself, which plainly states: "The proposal shall not include any recommendation to ration health care, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums ..., increase Medicare beneficiary cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and co-payments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria." (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1395kkk(c)(2)(A)(ii).) Furthermore, the IPAB's authority is limited to making recommendations, which the Congress has the power to approve or not. Thus, in order to ration health care in the manner that the author posits, the IPAB would have to submit a proposal to Congress that rations healthcare, but does "not include a recommendation to ration health care," that a Congressional majority ultimately approves. As should be evident, the hypothetical scenario in the article (like the "death panel" delusion that others decry) is simply not plausible.

Dante of CA 2:29PM March 27, 2012

Would he get the transplant under Britain's current National Health system?

Lisa of AL 11:36AM March 27, 2012