Comparison of the IPAB and MedPAC
| Located in | IPAB | MedPAC |
| Executive branch | Legislative branch | |
| Established under | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, § 3403). | Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33, §4022) by merging Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC) and the Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC) |
| Principal statutory mandate | Make recommendations to be implemented by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending; develop recommendations to slow the growth in national health expenditures while preserving or enhancing quality of care | Advise Congress on payments to private health plans participating in Medicare and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program; analyze access to care, quality of care and other issues affecting Medicare |
| Authority | Board delegated significant policy making authority by Congress | Advisory |
| Size | 15 appointed and 3 ex-officio members | 15 appointed members |
| Term | 6-year term, staggered | 3-year term, staggered |
| Appointed by | President in consultation with the majority leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the Senate and the minority leader of the House of Representatives | Comptroller General |
| Conditions of employment | Full-time, subject to ethical disclosures, compensation is level II (Chairperson) and level III (members) of the Executive Schedule, members may not engage in other business, vocation or employment | Part-time, subject to ethical disclosures, compensation is level IV of the Executive Schedule (with physician commissioners receiving a comparability allowance) |
| Staff | Executive director and a staff to be determined | Executive director and a full-time staff of 40 |
| Powers and work product | Power to hold hearings and obtain official dataAnnual proposals, as required, annual and biennial reports | Power to obtain official dataPublic meetings and two annual reports |
| Budget | $15 million in FY2012 updated by the rate of inflation annually | $13 million in FY2011 |
Source: Newman and Davis.4
FY, fiscal year; IPAB, Independent Payment Advisory Board; MedPAC, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.