aling ▁the ▁IP AB . ▁ ▁Background ▁Congress ▁created ▁IP AB ▁as ▁a ▁strength ened ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Medic are ▁Pay ment ▁Ad vis ory ▁Commission ▁( Med P AC ), ▁a ▁body ▁with ▁no ▁regul atory ▁power ▁that ▁sole ly ▁advis es ▁Congress , ▁but ▁cannot ▁en act ▁reg ulations ▁in ▁and ▁of ▁itself . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Med P AC ▁had ▁recommended ▁cut s ▁total ing ▁" h undred s ▁of ▁bill ions ▁of ▁dollars " ▁to ▁Medic are ▁that ▁were ▁ignored ▁by ▁Congress . ▁Congress ▁has ▁press ured ▁Medic are ▁administr ators ▁to ▁cover ▁" ine ffect ive ▁or ▁need lessly ▁cost ly ▁methods ▁of ▁care ," ▁while ▁Medic are ' s ▁found ing ▁legisl ation ▁says ▁" Nothing ▁in ▁this ▁title ▁shall ▁be ▁constru ed ▁to ▁author ize ▁any ▁Federal ▁officer ▁or ▁employee ▁to ▁exercise ▁any ▁super vision ▁or ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁medicine ." ▁Henry ▁A aron , ▁a ▁health ▁care ▁expert ▁at ▁the ▁Brook ings ▁Institution , ▁said ▁that ▁many ▁obser vers ▁saw ▁that ▁some ▁in ▁Congress ▁are ▁" in ▁thr all ▁to ▁campaign ▁contrib utors ▁and ▁produ cers ▁and ▁supp liers ▁of ▁medical ▁services " ▁and ▁most ▁are ▁not ▁well ▁enough ▁informed ▁to ▁wis ely ▁use ▁Medic are ' s ▁bu ying ▁power ▁to ▁reform ▁health ▁care . ▁The ▁idea ▁behind ▁the ▁IP AB ▁was ▁to ▁take ▁power ▁away ▁from ▁Congress ▁( and ▁special ▁interests ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁give ▁it ▁to ▁those ▁knowledge able ▁in ▁health ▁care ▁policy . ▁