In a much anticipated release, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on December 18 issued a framework for analyzing health reform proposals, along with an accompanying volume on discrete budget options in an effort to inform ongoing reform discussions on Capitol Hill. Serving as CBO Director until he was tapped by President-elect Barack Obama last month to head the White House Budget Office, Peter Orszag directed his staff months ago to compile this analysis and scoring document to assist lawmakers as they consider changes to the nation’s health care system.  
     
With President-elect Obama officially nominating former Senate leader Tom Daschle as U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary and also appointing him as the head of the newly created Office of Health Reform, all signs point to health reform as a key area of focus for the next Administration. Getting a jump on those possible reform efforts,  Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has convened nearly a dozen hearings and roundtables on the subject over the past year, and  pledged again last week that he would unveil a health reform bill next month to kick off the 111th Congress.  The bill is expected to largely mirror the white paper he released in November.
     
The CBO release last week, however, is notable for the breadth of potential budget options included to finance the delivery of a massive overhaul of the health care system. The document outlines 115 different proposals aimed at expanding health insurance, improving quality, or reducing Federal costs.  In response, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) said, “These extensive reports will provide Congress with crucial information and analysis as we undertake health care reform and seek out ways to control health care costs.” 
     
While the budget options included in CBO’s report did cut across all sectors of the health care industry, several options pose particular concerns for hospitals. Advocating for coverage expansion to the uninsured while protecting hospitals from damaging cuts, GNYHA will continue to work with lawmakers in Washington in developing reform legislation in the coming months. The CBO document is available at http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9924.