CBO Updates Price Tag of Senate Health Care Reform Bill to $875B
On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office released a new cost and deficit estimates report of the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590), which the chamber passed on Dec. 24, the AP/Washington Post reports.
According to the CBO, the bill would:
- Cost $875 billion over 10 years, $14 billion lower than CBO previously projected; and
- Reduce the federal budget deficit by $118 billion.
The CBO's analysis of an earlier version of the bill found that it would cost $871 billion over 10 years. The new analysis reflects the many changes to the bill that have been made since the first analysis on Dec. 19.
Those changes, and several more under consideration, are being made to bridge the differences between the Senate bill and the House bill (HR 3962). The changes will be packaged into a separate "corrections" bill that Democrats intend to pass through the budget reconciliation process.
The CBO did not release cost-and-coverage estimates for President Obama's health reform proposal, which is being used as a platform for the final legislation (AP/Washington Post, 3/11). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.