HELP Is on the Way
The Congressional Budget Office has looked at the future of American health insurance, and it works.
A few weeks ago there was a furor when the budget office “scored” two incomplete Senate health reform proposals — that is, estimated their costs and likely impacts over the next 10 years. One proposal came in more expensive than expected; the other didn’t cover enough people. Health reform, it seemed, was in trouble.
But last week the budget office scored the full proposed legislation from the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). And the news — which got far less play in the media than the downbeat earlier analysis — was very, very good. Yes, we can reform health care.
Let me start by pointing out something serious health economists have known all along: on general principles, universal health insurance should be eminently affordable.
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved legislation that will probably cost more than Krugman estimated -- $1.6 trillion. Yet, this analysis looks at not just the price tag but puts the price tag into context --- “the estimated gross costs of health reform are less than 1 percent of the GDP over ten years.” Measuring based on GDP was a standard practice during the Bush years.
The analysis points out savings for State Governments, businesses and individuals should change how this expenditure is viewed. Over ten years, structural reforms will begin to pay for the $1.6 trillion cost of healthcare reform—and they will keep on paying in the years that follow.
I recommend reading the analysis … it’s short and powerful.
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