A ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives is against the idea of giving the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) the authority to set Medicare rates for providers.
MedPAC already makes recommendations to Congress to set rates, but its recommendations are nonbinding. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) says he's against increasing MedPAC's authority to completely set rates with Congress then voting them up or down, according to an article in USA Today June 5. "I don't think there is great enthusiasm for a take-it-or-leave-it proposal coming out of some commission," he was quoted saying.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) floated the idea last month. He says allowing MedPAC to set rates would remove the current process from special interest influence.