Budget Republicans Obernolte and Carter Introduce Bill to Improve CBO Scoring of Preventative Health Measures
Washington, D.C. – This week, two Republican members of the Budget Committee Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.) introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize how the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) evaluates the fiscal impact of preventive health care policies, in partnership with Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-Calif.).
"Our budget process should reward forward planning, not penalize it. By enabling the CBO to account for long-term savings from preventive health care, this legislation brings much-needed precision and responsibility to how Congress evaluates public health investments,” said Congressman Obernolte. “It’s a commonsense reform that enables smarter federal health investments to strengthen both our health care system and the long-term fiscal health of our country."
“CBO does not currently have the tools it needs to effectively score health care legislation. By providing it with assessment tools that weigh the value of preventative care, including treatment, prevention, and screening, we will have a more complete understanding of how taxpayer dollars are being used and will deliver better health care policies for patients,” said Congressman Carter.
Background:
The Preventive Health Savings Act (H.R. 4464) would establish a mechanism within existing law for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to assess long-term budgetary savings from preventive health care legislation over a 30-year window. Under current rules, the CBO primarily scores legislation within a 10-year budget window—an approach that often overlooks the full financial benefits of policies aimed at improving long-term health outcomes.
By allowing for long-range budget estimates, the bill aims to support evidence-based investments in public health and promote policies that both improve healthcare outcomes and reduce long-term federal health expenditures.
The Preventive Health Savings Act was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress.
