PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — U.S. Sen. Angus King is among a group of lawmakers who wants the Congressional Budget Office to prioritize the role of prevention in health care.
King, a Maine independent, is joining Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin and New Mexico Democratic Sen. Tom Udall in proposing the Preventive Health Savings Act. The senators say the proposal would direct the CBO to more accurately reflect the cost savings associated with preventive health care.
King says ensuring future CBO studies take a longer view will help maximize the impact of preventive care.
Cardin says prioritizing prevention and early detection through tools such as cancer screenings and immunizations lowers health care costs by reducing severity of disease. He says neglect of prevention has been "overwhelming our health care budgets."