This exchange from this morning’s Senate Finance hearings between Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) and the Congressional Budget Office director says volumes about how hard it is to determine the impact of health care legislation when it’s passed so hastily:
SEN. HATCH: “Now, the process is moving too fast, and the demands on you were too high for you to give us a clear understanding of what we are going to do to premiums of millions of Americans who have coverage. Now, if I could just get yes or no answers to these if you can, I’d appreciate it. Has CBO done a premium impact analysis on this bill?”
CBO DIRECTOR DOUGLAS ELMENDORF: “No, senator.”
HATCH: “Okay. Has it done one — has it done premium impact analysis in the past on these other bills?”
ELMENDORF: “I don’t know the whole list, but we have certainly done that sort of analysis in the past, yes.”
HATCH: “Ok, but you have not done it here?”
ELMENDORF: “No, we have not.”
HATCH: “If you were given more time to truly inform the members of this committee about the premium impact of these policies on our constituents, would you be able to provide it for them as you’ve done in the past for legislation?”
ELMENDORF: “With sufficient additional time, yes, senator.”