(a) In general

Title II of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

204. Panel of Health Advisors

(a) In general

The Panel of Health Advisors (in this section referred to as the Panel) shall be within the Congressional Budget Office.

(b) Duties and priority target areas

(1) Duties

The Panel shall—

(A)

provide technical and functional expertise and recommendations to the Congressional Budget Office to improve the office’s studies, analysis, and cost estimates related to health and health care issues and policies;

(B)

meet at least once annually; and

(C)

issue an annual report to the chair and ranking minority members of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Budget of the Senate which—

(i)

details the work of the Panel and includes such recommendations as have been approved by a vote of at least 9 members of the Panel and provided to the Congressional Budget Office; and

(ii)

includes a description prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office detailing how the office utilized any such recommendations provided under clause (i) and the extent to which any such recommendations were integrated into the office’s studies and cost estimates.

(2) Priority target areas

For the purposes of this section, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, in consultation with the chairs and ranking minority members of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, as well as members on the Panel, shall determine priorities to address in meetings of the Panel, and the report detailed under paragraph (1)(C). The Panel shall provide expertise and recommendations under paragraph (1) with specific respect to the following areas:

(A)

Non-economic and economic studies on health and health care issues and policies developed by the Congressional Budget Office.

(B)

Official cost estimates prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for proposed health care legislation.

(C)

Models developed and utilized by the Congressional Budget Office to project non-economic and economic impacts of health care policy changes and legislation.

(D)

Health care components of the Congressional Budget Office’s annual Budget and Economic Outlook publications, Federal Health Subsidies for Health Insurance reports, Health Insurance Coverage Projections, and other official publications related to health and health care by the Congressional Budget Office.

(3) Publication

The Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall publish, on the Office’s public website, the annual report prepared pursuant to paragraph (1)(C).

(4) Ethical disclosure; confidentiality

The Director of the Congressional Budget Office may establish—

(A)

a system for public disclosure by members of the Panel related to potential conflicts of interest relating to such members; and

(B)

confidentiality agreements with members of the Panel to protect information obtained by the Government on a confidential basis to inform official work products and confidential congressional requests for analytical reports and budgetary scoring estimates.

(c) Membership

(1) Number and appointment

The membership of the Panel shall include 15 members appointed not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, of which—

(A)

3 members shall be appointed by the chair of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives;

(B)

3 members shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives;

(C)

3 members shall be appointed by the chair of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate;

(D)

3 members shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate; and

(E)

3 members shall be appointed by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

(2) Qualifications

The membership of the Panel shall aim to include, but not be limited to, individuals with national recognition for their expertise in health finance and economics, actuarial science, health facility management, life sciences and drug development, investment in health care companies, health plans and integrated delivery systems, reimbursement of health facilities, allopathic and osteopathic physicians, and other providers of health services, Medicare, Medicaid, and other related fields.

(3) Special Government employees

Members of the Panel shall serve as special Government employees (as defined in section 202(a) of title 18, United States Code).

(d) Terms

(1) In general

The terms of the members of the Panel shall be for 3 years, except that the Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall designate staggered terms of the members first appointed.

(2) Vacancies

(A) In general

A vacancy in the Panel shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(B) Term of member appointed to fill vacancy

Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term, except that a member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has taken office.

(3) Chair; vice chair

(A) In general

The Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall designate a member of the Panel, at the time of appointment of the member, as chair and a member as vice chair for that term of appointment, except that in the case of vacancy of the chair or vice chair, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office may designate another member for the remainder of that member’s term.

(B) Requirements

The chair and vice chair shall be appointed by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office—

(i)

after considering recommendations received from the chairs of the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Budget of the Senate;

(ii)

without regard to political affiliation; and

(iii)

solely on the basis of their fitness to perform their duties.

(4) Limits

Members of the Panel shall be limited to two 3-year terms, for a total of not to exceed 6 years of service on the Panel. For purposes of this paragraph, any year of service on the Panel by a person appointed to fill a vacancy under paragraph (2) shall be included in determining the number of years that such person has served on the Panel.

(b) Clerical amendment

The table of contents of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 203 the following: