Now, before ever beginning its work, IPAB has been smothered. For now, this was not a dire problem, because health-care spending growth had not breached IPAB targets. But if health spending once again gets out of hand, the IPAB mechanism would have compelled at least modest savings. The health-care industry, given useful cover by anti-government demagogues, can celebrate. Those days will come as the baby boomers retire, health care becomes ever more expensive, debt service costs expand and future generations struggle to finance it all.

Source: Washington Post February 10, 2018 00:11 UTC