Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Hsieh Cited in IBD on Medicare Rationing

The 5/16/2011 Investor's Business Daily quoted me in their article, "Will Congress Kill 'Death Panel 2.0'?" Here's the relevent excerpt:
While IPAB defenders say the law specifically bars rationing, critics argue that cutting provider payments would have that effect.

They say IPAB-imposed payment cuts could accelerate doctors' exodus from Medicare, restricting seniors' access to care. In 2009, 13% of family doctors said they didn't participate in Medicare, up from 6% in 2004, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"Its power to set payments to doctors and hospitals would give it de facto rationing power," Paul Hsieh, a Denver-based physician, noted in his IPAB analysis.
(Read the full text of "Will Congress Kill 'Death Panel 2.0'?")

The "IPAB analysis" they are referring to is my PajamasMedia piece from 4/22/2011, "We Call It 'Rationing,' Obama Calls It 'Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board'".

I'm honored and delighted to be cited by such a high-profile outlet as Investor's Business Daily, and I'd like to again thank PajamasMedia (including editors David Steinberg and Aaron Hanscom) for providing such a friendly outlet for my work.

(See the full list of my PajamasMedia writings.)