As we all obsess over CBO scores and the cost of reform, it’s important to remember that the CBO only cares about federal expenditures. That’s all.
What that means is that as CBO scores come down, it doesn’t mean that health care is cheaper. It just means that the federal government is paying for less. Making changes to the bills that lower the CBO scores do NOT make health care cheaper.
A lower CBO score may mean that states will have to pick up more of the cost. That’s probably not a good thing.
A lower CBO score may mean that employers have to pick up more of the cost. That’s potentially not a good thing.
A lower CBO score may mean that individuals have to pick up more of the cost. That’s really not a good thing.
Know what a lower CBO score does NOT mean? It doesn’t mean that health care got cheaper or easier to get. And expensive health care is positively a bad thing. Think about that the next time politicians are bragging about lower CBO scores.
