Dozens of Health Organizations Applaud Legislation to Change Congressional Budget Scoring Rules for Preventive Health Initiatives
Burgess-DeGette Bipartisan Bill Would Enable Congress to Better Assess Long-Term Savings from Disease Prevention Efforts
WASHINGTON – Nearly 80 healthcare organizations, including the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), have endorsed bipartisan legislation introduced today that would modernize Congressional Budget Office scoring procedures for preventive health initiatives, examining the potential for long-term health savings that might occur beyond the conventional 10-year budget window.
The Preventive Health Savings Act of 2015 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Diana DeGette (D-CO). The legislation would give chairs or ranking minority members of budget and health-related committees the ability to request a budget analysis of preventive health programs for two 10-year periods beyond the conventional 10-year window.
A letter signed by 78 organizations representing healthcare groups, associations, patients, and employers said the legislation is necessary because “research has demonstrated that certain expenditures for preventive medicine generate savings when considered in the long term, but those cost savings may not be apparent when assessing only the first ten years – those in the ‘scoring’ window.”
The letter continued, “Lawmakers need sound information, and today’s methods and procedures may not work as well as needed in analyzing certain efforts to prevent costly complications of chronic diseases.”
In a statement, Healthcare Leadership Council President Mary R. Grealy said, “To address a chronic disease escalation that threatens to affect our society and economy for the next several decades, we need long-term thinking that transcends the way Congress traditionally thinks about policy and budgets. Innovations that can prevent illness and improve population health for generations shouldn’t be stymied by an arbitrary 10-year budget window.” HLC is a coalition of chief executives of major companies and organizations from all health sectors.
The organizations signing the letter said a step like this is necessary to encourage innovative programs to combat chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease that account for more than 80 percent of the nation’s health spending.
