North Texas News

Today, Congressman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) issued a statement following the passage of the HEALTH Panel Act through the House Budget Committee.

Congressman Burgess and Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced H.R. 9686, known as the HEALTH Panel Act. This legislation aims to give authority back to the House and Senate to appoint the Panel of Health Advisors in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill also mandates that the CBO provide an annual report to the Budget Committee detailing the panel's work and recommendations.

"The passage of the HEALTH Panel Act through the House Budget Committee is a major win for American patients, physicians, and the U.S. health care system," said Congressman Burgess. "Unelected officials in the Congressional Budget Office should not have the power to influence the legislative process as it pertains to health care policies. This commonsense legislation will grant congressional authority to codify a bipartisan Panel of Health Advisors within the CBO that prioritize the needs of the patient and not their own partisan agenda. Thank you to Congressman Carter for joining me in revitalizing this panel with statutory authority."

Congressman Carter added, "It’s no secret that health care is expensive. As one of the primary drivers of our nation’s runaway $35 trillion in debt, it is critical that CBO have the authority required to accurately project the budgetary impact new health care policies will have. The HEALTH Panel Act is a necessary, common-sense step to improve both cost estimates and congressional oversight of this key panel, and I hope to see it on the House floor soon."

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Panel of Health Advisors was informally established 20 years ago and consists of healthcare experts and stakeholders who advise CBO on issues related to health care policy. The core purpose of this panel is to provide technical expertise and recommendations to improve CBO's studies, analyses, and cost estimates related to health care issues.

However, there has been no statutory authority for this panel nor clear guidance on its responsibilities until now. This bill seeks to establish congressional appointment authority and require annual reporting from this panel to ensure better oversight.