On December 31, 2009, the work of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America came to a close. To stay up-to-date on the latest news and efforts related to health disparities and the social determinants of health, visit rwjf.org

Guest Post: What If Benjamin Franklin Ran the Congressional Budget Office?

Jim Marks, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

August 5, 2009

"Benjamin Franklin once famously remarked, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Unfortunately, what this means is often, according to the CBO, an ounce of prevention isn't worth anything at all."
-- James Marks, Senior Vice President and Director of the Health Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
 
In a striking new piece on The Huffington Post, RWJF's James Marks uncovers the Congressional Budget Office's scoring rule that excludes any returns on health investments that occur after 10 years.  Functionally, this means that early childhood interventions and investments in early detection and prevention -- all of which generally show gains well beyond the 10-year window -- are not factored into the CBO's $1 trillion projected price tag for health reform.
 
Join the Conversation:
The implications of this seldom-considered rule are significant for the Commission and the issues that so many of us work on every day.  We encourage you to read Dr. Marks' post and add your comment to the discussion at The Huffington Post.

The Huffington Post: What If Benjamin Franklin Ran the Congressional Budget Office?

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