A bipartisan bill designed to move the United States toward eliminating hepatitis C has not advanced in the Senate since its introduction more than a year ago, and its lead sponsor says a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate is the obstacle.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and spent much of his career as a liver doctor treating the disease, said the measure received a disappointing score and that conversations are underway with CBO about a rescore. His office declined to provide the figure but said it was higher than a related CBO estimate from the previous Congress. The office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the bill's Democratic cosponsor, also said discussions with CBO were ongoing.
