National Coalition Hosts Event to Examine Costs Projections for Chroni...( New White Paper Outlines Possible Way...),Health

New White Paper Outlines Possible Ways to Improve CBO Modeling and Information for Policymakers

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, during a Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease policy briefing on Capitol Hill, health policy researchers Michael J. O'Grady, Ph.D., and James C. Capretta, M.A., released a white paper, "Health-Care Cost Projections for Diabetes and other Chronic Diseases: The Current Context and Potential Enhancements." Their research suggests that, in selected instances, incorporating insights from clinical medicine and broadening the timeframe of analysis could improve the budgetary information available to policymakers.

"CBO is one of the most credible institutions in our government, and their cost-estimates inform critical policy decisions," said PFCD Executive Director Ken Thorpe, Ph.D. "This white paper is part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that more clinical and health status data could improve projection model accuracy and provide lawmakers with more information on the budgetary impact of health policy options."

O'Grady and Capretta's findings are grounded in a new projection model for diabetes incidence and associated health care costs, which they and other researchers recently developed. That model, built with the best clinical information on disease progression for diabetics, shows that a specific diabetes intervention could reduce costly complications over a 20-25-year period, and indicates that the customary ten-year period currently required in the Congressional budget process rules may therefore be inadequate to capture the full value of such an intervention. The authors conclude, "Sound policymaking for diabetes interventions and other chronic conditions with similar natural histories is likely to require cost estimates beyond ten years. These estimates will also need to incorporate the latest, most rigorous evidence from clinical medicine regarding
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