Healthcare Leaders Applaud the House Passage of the Preventive Health Savings Act
Association of Healthcare Executives Celebrates House Vote for a Healthier Future
Washington, DC, March 19, 2024 – The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), the leading health industry association representing all disciplines of American healthcare, commends the House for passing H.R. 766, the “Dr. Michael C. Burgess Preventive Health Savings Act.” This bill will modernize the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring abilities by allowing for a more accurate consideration of longer-term cost savings from preventive healthcare and innovative healthcare interventions.
Since helping to craft the initial bipartisan legislation introduced in 2012, HLC’s diverse membership has consistently advocated for an accurate legislative scoring processes that appropriately reflects the future reductions in healthcare spending associated with preventive healthcare measures. The healthcare industry has long recognized that aligning incentives to protect, promote and maintain health not only drive private sector investment in disease prevention in the short-term but also mitigate the need to spend more healthcare dollars in the future. Investment in effective wellness and healthcare interventions that improve physical activity and nutrition lead to better patient outcomes. HLC has submitted numerous letters of support and collaborated with organizations outside of HLC’s membership to educate policymakers on the need to modernize the CBO’s scoring system to reflect this reality.
“This legislation is a crucial step toward appropriately reflecting budgetary long-term savings of preventive healthcare, especially when it comes to chronic diseases, which account for a significant portion of healthcare spending,” said Maria Ghazal, President and CEO of HLC. “HLC appreciates the commitment and perseverance of Dr. Burgess and the House bill’s cosponsors and calls on the Senate to follow suit and secure its passage.”
“The American healthcare system continues to advance towards a value-based system where the outcomes realized are prioritized over the volume of services rendered. At the core of this evolution is and must be a realization that maintaining and advancing wellness rather than managing illness is a solution to lowering costs,” said Ghazal. “However, the fiscal savings in both patient health and the overall cost of care must be recognized as legislation advances this continued transformation.”
For Immediate Release: March 19, 2024
Contact: Kelly Fernandez at kfernandez@hlc.org, (202) 449-3452
