CBO Reports Healthy Americans Act would be Budget-Neutral
Contact:
Elizabeth Carpenter
New America Foundation
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Len Nichols, Director of the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation, released the following statement in response to the Congressional Budget Office's report that the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act (HAA) would be roughly budget-neutral in its first year, and actually produce budget surpluses in following years.
"The CBO report proves that the U.S. can afford a high-value health system that guarantees every American quality, affordable health coverage and takes care of our nation's most vulnerable. In addition, this analysis serves as further evidence that smart incentives and reasonable insurance reforms can make private markets work for all Americans.
I applaud the work of the Healthy Americans Act co-sponsors, especially Senators Wyden and Bennett, and urge them to continue to forge a bipartisan conversation about covering all Americans.
Comprehensive health reform is both a moral and economic imperative, and balancing affordability for households with affordability for society is one of the primary challenges to success. From Congress to the campaign trail, there are many exciting proposals to reform our health system. This CBO report should serve as inspiration to lawmakers, stakeholders, and the American public that a bipartisan, shared responsibility approach to financing is indeed possible."
The New America Foundation provided policy development advice to Senator Wyden in developing the HAA. For more information on the legislation, please click here or visit The New Health Dialogue Blog.
About the Health Policy Program
The Health Policy Program works at the national level and in California to achieve fully portable health insurance to all Americans while raising the average quality of care and lowering the rate of cost growth. More specifically, the Program promotes a mandatory, citizen-based approach to health insurance that, combined with credible cost containment measures, can ensure universal coverage and enhance America's long-term economic and social well-being. The Health Policy Program publishes the New Health Dialogue Blog, linked here. For more information please visit the Health Policy Program website.
The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, post-partisan public policy institute whose purpose is to bring exceptionally promising new voices and new ideas to the fore of our nation's public discourse. Relying on a venture capital approach, the Foundation invests in outstanding individuals and policy solutions that transcend the conventional political spectrum. Headquartered in our nation's capital, New America also has offices in California and New York.
