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HealthThe federal budget is on an unsustainable path, primarily because of the rising cost of health care. Projected Federal Spending Under One Fiscal Scenario From the Director
Health care reform is a central issue in the 111th Congress, driven especially by growing concern about the number of people without insurance coverage and continual increases in cost. As the committees of principal jurisdiction for health care work on comprehensive proposals, analyzing them and helping the Congress understand their effects are a top priority for CBO. Panel of Health Advisers
Consisting of acknowledged experts in health care, CBO's panel of health advisers meets periodically to examine research in health policy and to advise the agency on its analyses of health care issues. The panel thus helps to further the reliability, professional quality, and transparency of the agency's work. Inside CBO
Experts from across the agency come together to analyze health care: estimating the budgetary impacts of federal health care programs, preparing studies of health policy issues, and estimating the budgetary and other effects of proposals to alter the health care system. Two units in the Budget Analysis Division focus particularly on estimating the cost of proposed health care legislation and projecting spending for federal health care programs. The Health and Human Resources Division conducts studies of health issues, including Medicare, Medicaid, pharmaceuticals, public health, and private health markets; it also develops models that underlie cost estimates. The National Security Division conducts studies of the health care provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. The Microeconomic Studies Division also analyzes health issues, especially those related to competition or market structure, including most recently prescription drug pricing and research and development in the pharmaceutical industry. CBO continually seeks health economists, analysts, and research assistants for health-related programs. The agency has also devoted an internship to health policy, which is for graduate students. It may be available on a summer, semester, or year-long basis depending on work needs and students' availability. |
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Children's Health Insurance Program Baseline |
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