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King, Crapo Reintroduce Bill to Better Capture Long-Term Cost-Savings of Preventive Care

Press Release

Date: July 6, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations Health and Health Care

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today reintroduced the Preventive Health Savings Act of 2016, legislation that would direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including health screenings.

"For Congress to make informed decisions about the future of health care policy in this country, we need good data -- and that means having the Congressional Budget Office give us a better picture of what works and what's worth investing in," Senator King said. "That way, we will be able to prioritize programs that will have a larger impact on keeping Americans healthy and, ultimately, saving them money -- a winning combination."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), efforts to treat chronic diseases account for 86 percent of our America's health care costs. Preventive care -- such as health screenings, shots, and lab tests -- can help prevent chronic disease and ultimately lead to savings in health care costs.

However, under current law, the CBO does not take into account the long-term cost-savings associated with preventive health initiatives. The Preventive Health Savings Act would direct the CBO to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive health care by allowing Congressional Committees -- including the Budget; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Finance; Ways and Means; and Energy and Commerce Committees -- to request an analysis of preventive measures extending beyond the existing 10-year budget window to two additional 10-year periods.

By allowing the CBO to widen its budget window to better capture the costs-savings from preventative care, the legislation encourages a sensible review of health policy in order to promote public health and incentivizes Congress to invest in proven methods of saving lives and money.‎

Senators King and Crapo originally introduced the bill in 2013.


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