▁president . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁Orth op edic ▁Sur ge ons ▁made ▁IP AB ▁a ▁focus ▁of ▁their ▁advoc acy ▁work . ▁ ▁Hospital ▁exem ptions ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁pract icing ▁phys icians ▁on ▁the ▁board ▁itself ▁were ▁major ▁concerns . ▁Lob by ing ▁efforts ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁focused ▁on ▁making ▁these ▁modifications ▁if ▁not ▁fully ▁elimin ating ▁the ▁board . ▁ ▁Medical ▁special ty ▁groups ▁spe ar head ed ▁efforts ▁to ▁repe al ▁IP AB . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁Society ▁of ▁An est h esi olog ists ▁and ▁American ▁Association ▁of ▁Ne uro log ical ▁Sur ge ons ▁co - le ad ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁medical ▁special ties ▁and ▁patient ▁organizations ▁representing ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁phys icians ▁and ▁their ▁patients ▁dedicated ▁to ▁repe aling ▁IP AB . ▁ ▁The ▁coal ition ▁end ors ed ▁efforts ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 3 th ▁Congress ▁to ▁repe al ▁IP AB . ▁ ▁Howard ▁Dean , ▁a ▁consult ant ▁for ▁Washington , ▁D . C .- based ▁lo bb ying ▁firm ▁McK en na , ▁Long ▁and ▁Ald ridge ▁and ▁former ▁Democratic ▁Governor ▁of ▁Verm ont , ▁believed ▁the ▁IP AB ▁would ▁fail ▁to ▁control ▁costs ▁and ▁should ▁be ▁abol ished . ▁He ▁opposed ▁the ▁prem ise ▁of ▁the ▁board , ▁writing ▁in ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁health