Ever since it was established in the Affordable Care Act, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) has been a magnet for criticism on both sides of the political aisle in Washington.

Created to do what Congress is always reluctant to do – act when Medicare spending appears to be spiraling out of control – the IPAB exists today only on paper:  the president has never appointed anyone to its 15-member board, nor have the conditions that would require IPAB action under the reform 2010 reform law ever arisen.

In a new commentary, the Commonwealth Fund takes a look at the IPAB:  what it is, what it is supposed to do, and why so many people want to abolish it.  Find that commentary here.