60 Plus backs ad with $252,000 statewide buy

HELENA, Mont. – The 60 Plus Association today launched a new ad campaign that targets Montana Senator Jon Tester on his support for health care reform’s Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).  The $252,000 ad campaign, which features music legend and 60 Plus National Spokesman Pat Boone, will run statewide beginning on August 22.

“The idea that health care decisions should be left to the government is the running theme in Obama’s health care reform legislation, but it comes to a point in the Independent Payment Advisory Board,” said music legend Pat Boone, National Spokesman for the 60 Plus Association.  “IPAB puts decisions about health care for seniors in the hands of bureaucrats,  significantly altering the doctor-patient relationship.  Seniors can’t afford government bureaucracy to block us from getting the care we deserve from a doctor we trust.”

The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) acts like a Medicare IRS.  More specifically, President Obama and Senator Tester have empowered the 15-member bureaucratic council to decide what constitutes “necessary care” for Medicare recipients.  IPAB’s so-called recommendations can be fully enacted without congressional action, allowing them to independently ration care for seniors.

“The Obama-Tester health care legislation dealt a bad hand to seniors,” said Jim Martin, Chairman and Founder of 60 Plus.  “Not only did the bill extract $500 billion from Medicare to fund new government programs, but it gave an unaccountable board of bureaucrats the authority to deny seniors the care we need.  On behalf of the more than 7 million seniors 60 Plus represents, I urge Senator Tester to protect seniors by eliminating IPAB.”  

The new ad is the second in a series of ads from the 60 Plus Association in Montana.  In March 2012, the group launched a $350,000 campaign that also targeted Sen. Jon Tester on the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

Click here to watch the television ad or visit www.60Plus.org for more information.

– TRANSCRIPT –

PAT BOONE:
Hi friend, I’m Pat Boone.  A lot of promises were made regarding health care reform, but America’s seniors knew forcing a bill through Congress when Americans overwhelmingly opposed it would be disastrous.  And we were right.

NARRATOR:
The new health care law creates a board of 15 unelected bureaucrats.  It’s like a Medicare IRS – with the power to cut Medicare in order to pay for new government programs.  

PAT BOONE:
Call Senator Tester.

Tell him:  Unaccountable bureaucrats should never have the power to deny you the care you deserve.

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