Dem Health Care Bill Pegged at $940B Over 10 Years

Updated at 2:35 p.m. ET

Democrats are expected to unveil their final health care legislative package today, following the preparation of a preliminary cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that Democrats say pegs their health care plan at a cost of $940 billion over 10 years.

The CBO report should reassure some Democrats on the fence about the bill, since it reportedly estimates the health care plan will cut the federal deficit by $130 billion in its first 10 years and by $1.2 trillion in its second 10 years.

"We are absolutely giddy over the great news" that the bill will reduce the deficit, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) said today, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson reports.

President Obama this morning praised the reform package as "the most significant effort to reduce deficits since the balanced budget act in the 1990's."

He commented on the health care legislation before signing the HIRE Act into law, with some key legislators at his side. A key undecided House Democrat, Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, joined the president, as did Republican Rep. Ahn "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, who is still considering his vote on reform. Cao was the only Republican to support the House health care bill last year, and he is reportedly considering whether he finds the Senate bill's abortion language sufficient.

The CBO also expects the bill to reduce the annual growth in Medicare expenditures by 1.4 percentage points per year, Democrats say, and extend Medicare's solvency by at least 9 years. An additional 32 million people should get coverage under the bill, expanding health care coverage to 95 percent of Americans.

Once Democrats unveil their bill today, the countdown to a final House vote on the package will begin. It's unlikely the vote will happen before Sunday, since Democrats intend to keep their pledge to wait until a bill has been available online for 72 hours. That means President Obama may have to either delay his departure for Asia, which is scheduled for Sunday, or sign the bill abroad so that Senate Democrats can proceed with passing the reconciliation "fix it" measure.

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The release of the CBO report came down to the wire in part because of continued negotiations over the so-called "Cadillac" tax, or excise tax on pricey insurance plans, Jackson reports. Labor unions supported the Senate bill after Democrats watered down the tax, which could hit a number of middle-class workers with good health benefits, but the negotiations over the provision continued into last night after the weaker excise tax showed disappointing returns from the CBO.

Democrats worked out a deal to delay the implementation of the Cadillac tax from 2013 to 2018 -- a compromise to appease pro-labor Democrats that would be implemented through the reconciliation bill. However, Republicans plan to give speeches on the Senate floor today explaining why they think delaying the Cadillac tax through the reconciliation measure would violate Senate rules, Politico reports. The GOP reportedly plans to pick apart a number of provisions included in the reconciliation bill.

"Part of convincing House members to vote for the Senate bill is that it can be fixed by reconciliation, and I think that is a highly questionable proposition," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told Politico.

CBO Preliminary Cost Estimate

At least one significant proposal -- the president's plan to establish federal authority over health insurance rate increases -- has fallen victim to the Senate rules, Huffington Post reports. The plan cannot be included in the reconciliation "fix it" bill, since only provisions that impact the federal budget may be included in reconciliation bills.

With Republicans intent on attacking the reconciliation measure, House Democrats are looking for a signed commitment from at least 51 Senate Democrats that they will, in fact, pass the "fix it" bill, USA Today reports.

"I don't think we want to move forward without it," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) reportedly said.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are still working to secure the 216 votes they need to pass any bill, the New York Times reports, though the party gained some momentum yesterday when Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), along with a couple other previously undecided Democrats, announced they would support the Senate bill.

UPDATE: The 153-page reconciliation bill, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlined today, is available online here.

More Coverage of the Health Care Reform Debate:

Dem Health Care Bill Pegged at $940B Over 10 Years
Temperature Rising for Health Care Votes
Health Care Passage Plan Unconstitutional?
Obama Pushes Health Care Bill in Combative Fox Interview
Idaho to Sue If Health Care Bill Passes
Republicans Have Used "Slaughter Solution" Many Times
Dennis Kucinich to Vote Yes on Health Care
Obama's Health Care Plan: What Do You Think?
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

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by david393071 March 22, 2010 6:29 PM EDT: What was said:

President Obama, Face the Nation, September 20, 2009

Obama: No, the difference is that they're making huge profits on it, Bob. I mean, let's take the Medicare HMO programs that are being run by insurance companies. It's estimated by everybody that they're overcharging by about 14 percent. This amounts to about $177 billion over 10 years. About $17 billion a year, $18 billion a year. That's just going to pad their profits, hasn't been shown to make Medicare recipients any healthier. And in fact because those huge subsidies are going to insurance companies, Medicare recipients are not getting a good deal. Now if we are enforcing what should be the rules around Medicare and making sure the people are getting a bang for the buck, it's not going to be possible for insurance companies to simply pass on those costs to Medicare recipients because ultimately it's Uncle Sam that's paying for those services anyway.

(guess who Uncle Sam is, duh, yeah thats right all US Taxpayers).

So the President knows about the big bad Insurance Corporations.

_________________________________________________________

What is done:

Rewards the Insurance Corporations, Medical Device Industry, and Pharmaceutical Industry for Campaign Contributions (for November 2010 Elections).

THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL February 22, 2010

Page 10. Manditory Insurance, fined or jail (more suckers for the Insurance Corporations to deny claims): "Like the drug industry, the health insurance industry stands to gain as more Americans get coverage."

Page 10. "The medical device industry also stands to gain from expanding health insurance coverage."

Page 9. "Both policies will result in new revenue for the pharmaceutical industry."

BY GETTING THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS OUT OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION

What Congress Gets:

"We're able to access that health care 24 hours a day when we're in Washington," Graham said, leading us to the Attending Physician's Office, a clinic inside the U.S. Capitol. They don't even have to leave the office.

About half of the members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, use the Attending Physician benefit. For $42 a month, they can get all the primary care they need - physical therapy, X-rays, minor surgery, specialists and a pharmacy for emergencies - no appointment needed.

They also get VIP hospital treatment from the best doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital. And they have a reserved spot at the elite Ward 72 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the late Sen. Strom Thurmond spent a lot of time.

Outpatient care is free. Well, free for them. Your tax dollars pick up the cost.

The Hypocrisy is that the late Senator Kennedy of whom the Democratic Party refer to as the champion of this so called Health Care Reform used the Medical Services listed above for $42 per month. As well as Bethesda Naval Hospital (reference New Media footage of his departure after treatment at Bethesda).

BY GETTING THE INSURANCE CORPORATIONS OUT OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION:

Decreases cost 80% (last part of video, 1:40) by Doctor David Ores, New York.1:45

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5247963n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

House speaker will keep money from 'villains', Pelosi called insurers 'immoral,' despite receiving funds from industry.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32237227/ns/politics-cq_politics

If it is good enough for the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senator Max Baucas, Congress, and all those trying ram something up our arses that they will never use (be screwed over by).

We want what they have for $42 per month.

NO ANAL RAPE.

Contact President:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Contact Congress:

http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Keep emailing them until they respond.; Reply to this comment


by ALBrainTrust10 March 19, 2010 8:34 PM EDT: SO NOW WE KNOW HOW THE DEMS GOT A "DEFICIT REDUCTION!!!"

THEY DROPPED OUT THE MEDICARE "DOC FIX" THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL HOUSE BILL.....BUT....

PELOSI SAYS SHE WILL PASS THE DOC FIX VIA A SEPARATE....S E P A R A T E ...BILL!!!!!!

THE DEM PLAN RUNS IN THE RED BUT FOR THE TACTIC OF SPLITTING THEIR HEALTH REFORM BILL INTO DIFFERENT PARTS.

WHAT A BUNCH OF INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST LIBERALS!!!!!

LIARS!!!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment

by steeepe March 19, 2010 11:56 AM EDT

Yea, ditch the bill and let the insurance companies dictate the rules of the game. Let premiums escalate 20%+ every year, with huge deductibles. Pre-existing conditions? Tough! No coverage for you. Get sick? Tough, your coverage is dropped. Run up tens of thousands in hospital costs? Tough, file for bankruptcy. Sick, no insurance? Tough, use the emergency room.

Yes, time to take our grievances to the state attorneys general and the Supreme Court. We don't want affordable health insurance! We don't want socialism! We don't care about the less fortunate! Let them fend for themselves. No death panels! It's a dog eat dog world out there, my friend. Sink or swim. You're in this only for yourself!

Reply to this comment


by 1thatsneverscared March 19, 2010 12:39 PM EDT: btw..when i said wee are best with the plan we have, I meant the current healthcare bill...again..not perfect...this pay for 10 but only get 6 thing sucks but ramping this up will take some time..other than that HOORAY USA!!!!! i'm glad dude and congress grew some kahunas.......


by hateisafourletterword March 19, 2010 10:48 AM EDT: When you collect revenue for the next 10 years, but the costs of the bill do not start for 4 years, it is slightly disingenuous to say the cost is only $940 billion. If you want to brag about how much money you waste, you should at least be honest about comparing 10 years of revenue against 10 years of program costs and not only 6 years of program costs.

But these are politicians after all. If they worked for a corporation, the same citizens celebrating this bill would be calling for their heads (ala Enron).; Reply to this comment


by thinking-hurts March 19, 2010 7:49 AM EDT: We have called our representatives to no avail; it is now time to go to the Supreme Court, and to your state attorney generals.; Reply to this comment


by CBSisCommunist5 March 19, 2010 12:11 AM EDT: that is not enough Tax me more please...

take more of my money...; Reply to this comment


by gboyd41 March 18, 2010 9:45 PM EDT: So seniors, your Humana Gold, Coventry Advantra, ect.-gone; except for the Florida bribe. Your physician taking a ~20% cut in reimbursement, a cut that will not begin to come close to covering overhead (paying staff, rent, malpractice, ect.), not to mention having to pay their own household bills, student loans, ect. Do you think a lot of them are going to be seeing medicare/medicaid pts.? Well, there are still the teaching hospitals and free clinics-or those physicians who see 60 pts a day-make it up in volume, 5 minutes max/pt.; Reply to this comment

by 1thatsneverscared March 18, 2010 8:35 PM EDT

... all of you make great points, this bill is not the solution we would all like to have...lemmie try and add some perspective...I was a temporary employe for a major insuranceblue company here in philly. I worked for the commercial side---employee based and self pay customers, goverment programs--medicare, and thier "non profit" arm--- medicaid..all the same company for those who are local that don't know... in a nutshell its better(not best) in my opinion, to have the plan we have..except that if they do this they MUST raise doctor reimbursement for whatever group or medicaid plan that grows from all this. MUST.

currently docs get on average 65% of COST to see patients on medicaid..
I know its complicat ed but starts a vicious cycle of bad customer service, rushed medical care,which leads to repeated doctor visits, doctors abusing the system in an attempt to compensate for the other 35% of COST they have to cover...just drama...they have to pay these docs more..
Also monopolies are illegal in this country, there is without a shadow of a doubt some illegalities going on in the ins industry. big time...they have to address that. period.

Ins companies on the commercial side have shareholders to consider and claims to pay..makes for some shady,insensitive but, profitable decisions. Decisions that they have to make that turn a profit, its just the nature of the free market and basic legal corporate structure. They have to be considered in this argument, as immoral thier decisions are. they had to be accomodated, ultimately, they will be the administrators of all this--

What? Progressives expected the government to create an ins company? huh? no, they were going to outsource this to people who already do it--ins companies---- even with the public option. Thats the harsh but true reality, thats what they do with medicare...insblue in philly administers medicare for locals here quietly and factor in cost of doing business when they charge the gov..thats what they do with medicaid..wwhy/how/when would they create a government ins company? ridiculous concept.

The collective good will of the people are the most powerful checks and balances..thats why the government should have stepped in on this issue..ins companies have to be regulated but are too powerful for swift action, so good strategy is needed..make them cover as many people as possible for as cheap as possible, remove pre existing conditions--its just morally right, since they won't do it themselves put some controls on rate increases.

As much as I love the free market, greed and corruption foil the concept sometimes..thats when the government gets involved. If ins companies had been setting up a real healthcare SYSTEM and made smarts partnerships with both the government, doctors and employers--we would not be here having this debate.
They failed.
the PEOPLE will succeeed.

Reply to this comment


by 1thatsneverscared March 19, 2010 12:35 PM EDT: btw..when i said wee are best with the plan we have, I meant the current healthcare bill...again..not perfect...this pay for 10 but only get 6 thing sucks but ramping this up will take some time..other than that HOORAY USA!!!!! i'm glad dude and congress grew some kahunas.......


by steeepe March 18, 2010 8:14 PM EDT: Reform or no reform, still no cogent argument against reform and for the status quo....; Reply to this comment

by retm-w March 18, 2010 7:29 PM EDT

Medicare donut hole won't be closed until 2020. And why aren't CBS, NBC,ABC,CNN or FOX reporting the CBO warning letter they sent along with the cost savings. What's in that warning letter they don't want the public to know about.

Reply to this comment


by SueZeeeQue March 18, 2010 8:28 PM EDT: It warned that morons and hacks would try to scare people by lying about reform.


by retm-w March 18, 2010 9:27 PM EDT: suezeeeQue

Where is the lie, it's in a couple of articles the donut hole won't be closed until 2012. The warning letter was mentioned but the media decided not to include what was in it. Now if you think that is a lie or a scare tatic then you have a reading and listening problem.

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