Overview
Title
To amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to codify the Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget Office, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill wants to add a special group of health experts to help Congress understand health care costs better. This group will share their ideas and advice, and they will include people who are really good at knowing about health.
Summary AI
H.R. 751 is a legislative proposal that aims to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by establishing a Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This Panel would provide technical expertise and recommendations to enhance the CBO's analysis and cost estimates concerning health policies. The Panel will consist of 15 members with relevant expertise, who will meet at least once a year and issue an annual report, which will be publicly available. Members will serve staggered terms and be appointed based on qualifications, without regard to political affiliation.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, known as the "Healthy Equipping And Lending Technical Help Panel Act" or the "HEALTH Panel Act," aims to establish a Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This panel is intended to enhance the CBO's ability to conduct studies, analysis, and cost estimates concerning health and healthcare policy issues. The panel would comprise 15 members, appointed by key budgetary figures and the Director of the CBO. Members are to serve staggered three-year terms, with a limit of two terms each, and are required to meet at least annually to provide recommendations.
Summary of Significant Issues
Several issues arise from the proposed bill. One of the main concerns is the lack of a defined budget or funding source for the panel, creating potential financial ambiguities. Without clarity on how the panel will be funded, there could be unplanned expenditures and issues with oversight. Additionally, the broad scope of the panel's duties could lead to inefficiencies, making it difficult to measure the effectiveness of its contributions to health policy analysis.
The criteria for selecting members with "national recognition" in their respective fields are somewhat subjective, which might lead to biased or inconsistent selections. There is also no outlined procedure for adapting the panel's duties to meet evolving healthcare challenges, risking the potential for outdated recommendations. Furthermore, the decision-making process for determining priority target areas lacks definition, which may result in confusion.
Lastly, the bill mentions ethical disclosure and confidentiality requirements but does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for breaches, which could create accountability gaps.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, the establishment of a Panel of Health Advisors within the CBO could enhance the quality of health and healthcare policy analysis and financial projections, potentially leading to more informed legislative decisions. For the general public, this might translate into more efficient healthcare policies that reflect deeper insights into the economic and non-economic impacts of health legislation.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Positive Impacts:
Policy Makers: They would benefit from improved and timely health policy analysis, supported by expert recommendations, which could aid in drafting more effective legislation.
Healthcare Sector: With better-informed projections and analyses, stakeholders in the healthcare industry, such as hospitals, insurance providers, and pharmaceutical companies, could receive more predictable and coherent policy environments.
Negative Impacts:
Panel Members: Individuals invited to serve on the panel might face challenges regarding accountability and ethical disclosures, given the lack of stipulated enforcement and confidentiality measures.
Taxpayers: Without a clear financial plan, taxpayers might bear the brunt of unplanned expenditures associated with maintaining the panel, leading to potential discontent with public spending.
In conclusion, while the HEALTH Panel Act potentially addresses a critical need in legislative health policy analysis, the lack of detailed procedural and financial frameworks could hinder its effective implementation and accountability. Moving forward, stakeholders might advocate for clarifications and revisions to address these critical issues to ensure the panel's successful operation.
Issues
The lack of specified budget or funding mechanism for the Panel of Health Advisors in Sections 2 and 204 could lead to financial ambiguities, unplanned expenditures, and oversight concerns, impacting how effectively the Panel can perform its duties.
The broad scope and lack of prioritization of the Panel's duties as outlined in Sections 2 and 204 could lead to inefficiencies and make it difficult to measure its effectiveness in addressing health and health care issues.
The criteria for selecting Panel members with 'national recognition' in Section 204 are subjective, which may lead to inconsistent application or biased selections, impacting the Panel's overall credibility and effectiveness.
There is no procedure outlined in Sections 2 and 204 for making changes to the Panel's duties or structure in response to evolving health care policy challenges, potentially leading to outdated or ineffective operations.
The process for determining priority target areas involves multiple parties but lacks a clearly defined decision-making procedure in Sections 2 and 204, which could lead to confusion and inefficiencies.
The enforcement and consequences for breaches of ethical disclosure and confidentiality requirements are not specified in Section 204, which could lead to gaps in accountability and potential misuse of sensitive information.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the Act states that it can be referred to as the “Healthy Equipping And Lending Technical Help Panel Act” or simply the “HEALTH Panel Act.”
2. Congressional Budget Office Panel of Health Advisors Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The new section added to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 establishes a Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget Office to provide expertise and recommendations on health and healthcare issues. The Panel will consist of 15 members appointed by various budget committee leaders and the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, focusing on improving studies and cost estimates related to healthcare, with members serving up to six years.
204. Panel of Health Advisors Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The Panel of Health Advisors, situated within the Congressional Budget Office, is tasked with providing expertise and recommendations on health-related matters to improve CBO’s studies and cost estimates. The Panel consists of 15 members appointed by various officials and the CBO, meets at least once a year, issues an annual report, and sets priority target areas, including health policy analysis and economic studies. Members serve staggered three-year terms with a limit of two terms, while adhering to ethical disclosures and confidentiality agreements.