▁Legisl ative ▁history ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Senator ▁Jay ▁Rock ef eller ▁introduced ▁the ▁Medic are ▁Pay ment ▁Ad vis ory ▁Commission ▁Reform ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁changed ▁Med P AC ▁into ▁an ▁executive ▁branch ▁ag ency . ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Ob ama ▁Administration ▁submitted ▁to ▁Congress ▁a ▁similar ▁proposal ▁called ▁the ▁Independent ▁Medic are ▁Ad vis ory ▁Council ▁Act , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁created ▁an ▁independent ▁five - member ▁executive ▁council ▁to ▁make ▁recommend ations ▁to ▁the ▁president . ▁From ▁June ▁ 1 7 ▁to ▁September ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁three ▁Democratic ▁and ▁three ▁Republican ▁Senate ▁Fin ance ▁Committee ▁members ▁met ▁for ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁thirty - one ▁meet ings ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁health ▁care ▁reform ▁bill . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁Sen ators ▁Max ▁Bau cus ▁( D - Mont ana ), ▁Ch uck ▁Gr ass ley ▁( R - I owa ), ▁Kent ▁Con rad ▁( D - N orth ▁Dak ota ), ▁Olymp ia ▁Snow e ▁( R - M aine ), ▁Jeff ▁B ing aman ▁( D - New ▁Mexico ), ▁and ▁Mike ▁En zi ▁( R - W y oming ), ▁met ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁si xty ▁hours , ▁and ▁their ▁discuss ions ▁established ▁the ▁principles ▁upon ▁which ▁the ▁health ▁care ▁reform ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁later ▁passed ▁was ▁based . ▁The ▁Fin ance