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Public commenter urges Legislative Budget Office to pilot dynamic budgeting for long-term savings analysis
Summary
Josh Berg of Accessible Space Inc. told the oversight commission that static fiscal notes miss behavioral and long-term effects and urged a pilot of dynamic modeling (citing a community-care hub proposal); he warned federal Medicaid changes could reduce coverage and funding for Minnesota.
Josh Berg, a nonprofit housing provider and New Market city council member, urged the Legislative Budget Office Oversight Commission on Sept. 3 to explore dynamic budgeting models that capture behavioral responses and long-term savings.
"Dynamic budgeting adds the layers we are missing," Berg said, arguing that static fiscal notes estimate upfront costs but may not reflect downstream savings from programs designed to change behavior.
Berg suggested the commission pilot dynamic modeling for proposals such as a community-care hub, saying private-sector forecasting and dynamic models could help the legislature see both costs and potential savings over time. He also flagged near-term federal changes to Medicaid as a motivating factor for modernization, asserting that the reforms could lead to up to 250,000 Minnesotans losing coverage and about $1.4 billion less in federal funding annually.
Commission members asked Berg to restate his affiliations; he identified his nonprofit as Accessible Space Inc. and said he serves on the boards of Trellis and other local organizations. Several commissioners expressed support for studying the idea further and asked LBO staff to consider adding the topic to future meetings.
No formal action was taken; members requested further information and signaled interest in following up before the next legislative session.
