Letter To Mr. Richard S. Foster, Chief Actuary, Department Of Health And Human Services

Letter

Grassley, Enzi Call for Complete Analysis from Administration's Chief Actuary

Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Mike Enzi are asking the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide a complete analysis of health care reform legislation before the House and Senate vote on the legislation.

Grassley and Enzi are the ranking members of the Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees. They said the analysis they are seeking is critical because the chief actuary looks broadly at the legislation's effect on national health care spending, access to health care and the economy. In contrast, the Congressional Budget Office focuses solely on federal health care spending.

Grassley and Enzi said legislation that affects such a significant segment of the economy and touches the lives and wallets of every American deserves the thorough analysis that the chief actuary would provide. A previous analysis from the chief actuary showed that the Senate health care reform bill would increase health care spending, limit access and reduce quality. Grassley and Enzi said members of Congress should know whether any of those issues were addressed before being asked to vote on health care reform again.

The text of the Grassley-Enzi letter to the chief actuary follows here. A summary of the chief actuary's analysis of the Senate health care bill follows that.

March 15, 2010

Mr. Richard S. Foster
Chief Actuary
Department of Health and Human Services
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop N3-01-21
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850

Dear Mr. Foster:

We are writing to request that you provide an analysis of the complete budgetary implications and coverage effects of any health reform legislative package, prior to its being voted on in either the House or Senate. According to recent reports, this legislation will consist of two separate bills that together form the final health care reform package. We very much appreciated your assessment of the House and Senate health reform bills at earlier stages in this important debate. Your analysis of this new legislative package will greatly assist Members and inform the debate around how these proposals will raise health care costs, affect Medicare beneficiaries' access to care, and increase the deficit.

Given the President's commitment to transparency in the health care reform process, we expect that you will be provided with the draft legislative language with sufficient time to review the legislation prior to any floor consideration or vote. It would be unfortunate if Congressional leaders force the legislative process forward before you are able to provide your analysis, which would force Members to vote on this legislation without having answers to these key questions.

Health care reform is a monumental task that not only has serious implications for the American economy; it will also personally touch the lives of every American. For many Members their votes on health care reform will be the most important votes they cast while serving in Congress. Rarely do we vote on legislation that will touch the lives of every single American in such a personal way. Before Members are asked to cast such an important vote, it is imperative that we have a thorough analysis of the entire package and its implications.

In keeping with your previous analyses of the broader House and Senate bills, we would request that this new analysis examine the effect of the legislative package in its entirety and should include the full cost of this legislative package for individuals, businesses, and government programs. We would also ask that you report what impact this legislation would have on the quality of care, and access to health care services. Finally, we would specifically want to know if this legislation will reduce the future rate of growth in national health expenditures and what impact it will have on future federal budget deficits.

We look forward to reviewing your analysis of this new health reform bill, once the White House and Congressional Leaders begin to make the details public. It is absolutely critical that the American people and their representatives have the best information possible regarding the impact of this legislation before the House or Senate vote on these important measures.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley Michael B. Enzi

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