Congressional Budget Office: The CBO is the official “scorer” – or estimator – of legislation. The website has a huge trove of data, some more technical than other.
The Director’s blog breaks down some of the ideas into simple English.
- There is a section on Selected CBO Publications Related to Health Care Legislation 2090-2010
- There is a section on other health policy, including Children’s Health Insurance Program and Physician Payment.
- Don’t’ be put off by the daunting title of this March 2011 CBO analysis: “Reducing the Deficit: Spending and Revenue Options.” It has good one- or two-page nonspecialist descriptions of federal programs that could be changed in the ongoing budget debate. Many changes would be felt in local communities. (This is a link to the PDF)
- CBO Glossary – Not light reading but still a useful one-stop-shopping for government financial terms.
- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: MPAC advises Congress on a broad range of Medicare issues; its reports are posted online.
Government information on the Affordable Care Act provisions: Updated information is at Health.gov, the HHS website (media site) and the CMS website (press page also has link to fact sheets).
MACPAC – the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission – was established when the Children’s Health Insurance Program was renewed in 2009 and it was expanded in the health care law. It reviews state and federal Medicaid and CHIP access and payment policies and makes recommendations to Congress, HHS and the states. Reports are online.