Members of the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), a group of chief executives from top health care companies across the U.S., recently announced that the council supports legislation to change the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The legislation was introduced by Sens. Michael Crapo (R-ID), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Udall (D-NM) and Ben Cardin (D-MD).
The purpose of the bill is to measure the costs as well as benefits of disease prevention and wellness programs. This will help the government to use novel methods to stop chronic diseases from growing throughout the U.S.
With the bill, the CBO could implement scientific data to offer more information to lawmakers who are on budget savings from preventive health initiatives. This could create health initiatives that reach past the typical 10-year budget scoring period, allowing health experts to take additional measures against health concerns.
“The CBO scoring window has been an obstacle in the war against chronic disease,” Mary Grealy, HLC president, said. “A program that can, for example, reduce obesity and curb the growth in diabetes may not display its full return on investment in the first decade. Savings are generated for years beyond that window when individuals don’t suffer renal failure, stroke, extreme hypertension or any of the other health conditions associated with diabetes. Congress needs not just the immediate price tag of a disease prevention initiative, but the full picture of its impact on population health and health system savings.”
