Tulsa World: Health-bill price tag $1 trillion

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Health-bill price tag $1 trillion
President Obama has said he prefers a package with a price tag of around $900 billion.

COST CUTTER
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "The bill will be paid for over 10 years. It will reduce costs but also will not add a dime to the deficit" in future years, she said at a news conference.

By DAVID ESPO Associated Press
Published: 10/24/2009 2:26 AM
Last Modified: 10/24/2009 5:01 AM

WASHINGTON — Health-care legislation taking shape in the House carries a price tag of at least $1 trillion over a decade, significantly higher than the target President Barack Obama has set, congressional officials said Friday as they struggled to finish work on the measure for a vote early next month.

Democrats have touted an unreleased Congressional Budget Office estimate of $871 billion in recent days, a total that numerous officials acknowledge understates the bill's true cost by $150 billion or more. That figure excludes several items designed to improve benefits for Medicare and Medicaid recipients and providers, as well as public health programs and more, they added.

The officials who disclosed the details did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Some moderate Democrats have expressed reluctance to support a bill as high as $1 trillion. Last month, Obama said in a nationally televised address before a joint session of Congress that he preferred a package with a price tag of around $900 billion.

Obama also said he would not sign a bill that raised deficits, and the CBO estimates the emerging House bill meets that objective. Officials said the measure would reduce deficits by at least $50 billion over 10 years and perhaps as much as $120 billion.

Democrats also said the bill would slow the rate of growth of the giant Medicare program from 6.6 percent annually to 5.3 percent.

"The bill will be paid for over 10 years. It will reduce costs but also will not add a dime to the deficit" in future years, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at a news conference.

Still, Obama's speech provoked enough concern among House Democrats that senior presidential aides were called to a meeting in the Capitol to explain precisely what the president had in mind when he set the $900 billion target.

The figure of $871 billion "is a coverage number. I think the White House has made that very clear. It is a number about coverage," Pelosi said recently when asked about the size of the measure.

Linda Douglass, a spokeswoman for the White House, said, "The speaker is working on a plan that meets with the president's price tag of around $900 billion for health insurance reform and will not add a dime to the deficit."

House Democrats took steps to fulfill another of Obama's goals during the day, announcing their legislation would completely close a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage within a decade, five years faster than originally contemplated.

In addition, Pelosi said, "as of Jan. 1, 2010, our legislation will give a 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs to recipients in the doughnut hole, and it will reduce the size of the doughnut hole by $500."

After months of delay, Democrats in the House and Senate are aiming for votes next month on legislation to fulfill Obama's goal of expanding coverage to millions who lack it, banning insurance industry practices such as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and slowing the growth in health-care spending nationally. The House bill would also lift the insurance industry's exemption from federal anti-trust laws, a provision under consideration in Senate negotiations as well.

With time growing short, Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are struggling independently with the most controversial of all issues involved with health care, proposals for a government-run insurance option to compete with private industry.

In the House, Democrats have tentatively concluded they cannot win passage of the provisions favored by most liberals, one calling for a nationwide government-run plan with payments to doctors and hospitals linked to rates paid by Medicare. It was unclear what fall-back plan was under consideration, but the internal disagreement cast doubt on plans to publicly unveil legislation early next week.

Across the Capitol, Reid, D-Nev., assessed support for a nationwide government-run insurance option that would allow states to opt out of the system. While the plan evidently enjoys a clear majority, it is uncertain whether it can command the 60 votes needed to overcome a threatened Republican filibuster.

Democrats hold 60 votes in the Senate, but one, Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has spoken out strongly against a so-called public option.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican this year who has voted for a Democratic-drafted health care bill in committee, favors allowing the government to step in only if there is insufficient competition in the private insurance industry. By DAVID ESPO Associated Press

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

215 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Senate bill may have public insurance plan ," which was published on 10/23/2009.

	Report Comment 2curious, Tulsa, OK 74104 (10/23/2009 5:45:04 AM) I'm putting the over / under number for comments to this story at 150.
	Report Comment Galadriel, Valinor (10/23/2009 6:06:25 AM) Hello Socialism, Goodbye Freedom.
	Report Comment PhoenixIX, Jenks (10/23/2009 6:24:09 AM) RE:"Hello Socialism, Goodbye Freedom." I honestly see the Public Option as : Goodbye Bondage-Hello Freedom.
	Report Comment Barry Hussein Soetoro Dunham, Tulsa (10/23/2009 6:41:27 AM) Most of the liberal Democrats know that putting a public option into the Bill will cause it to be D.O.A. when it hits the Senate. However, several, like Pelosi continue to subvert the public will and march ahead with their agenda much like the S.S. Fraulein will be voted out next election cycle, thank God.
	Report Comment Jules09A, Sapulpa (10/23/2009 6:51:46 AM) Obama is left-handed? DANG IT, I KNEW I SHOULDN"T HAVE VOTED FOR HIM!!!!!
	Report Comment oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (10/23/2009 6:55:19 AM) I call this teem Obama, all being poverty pimps, shoving health care down the Real Americans throats, and this does seem to be the death of the Democratic party as we know it.Next election will be a free for all.
	Report Comment HH66, "Me-My-I" Obama (10/23/2009 7:02:37 AM) It's not a public option......it's the government selling insurance policies. Can't you all see the difference? A pig is a pig no matter what lipstick you put on it or name you call it. If it oinks, it's a "P I G"....PIG!!
	Report Comment Popeye, T-Town (10/23/2009 7:04:38 AM) Our government at "work"... Or something.
	Report Comment Ayo, T-Town (10/23/2009 7:08:48 AM) Fire Departments, Police Departments: Hello socialism! Good-bye crooked, health insurance companies! Shape up or ship out.
	Report Comment Courage, bartlesville, home of the late BYD (10/23/2009 7:09:36 AM) Why all the smoke and mirrors? The Reid{ I'm scared of Pelosi) Senate is going to put the public option in. If it is being approved by 60 % of the public, as the Washington Post says, why worry?
	Report Comment Ignatz, A nice place where Democrats hold every office in the County. (10/23/2009 7:13:17 AM) This needs an up and down vote, one way or the other.Funny how "real Americans" grab their ankles for the insurance industry while we "unreal just lucky to be here" types believe in competition with them to hold down costs.
	Report Comment WhoseLeft, Tulsa (10/23/2009 7:22:54 AM) Right-o, Phoenix. Freedom=choice. Public option from the Senate and the House.
	Report Comment centralhigh, (10/23/2009 7:27:18 AM) If those who don't have health care let them BUY IT THEMSELVES!!!!!!! I buy mine!!!!!!!!!!!!
	Report Comment Jumbo, (10/23/2009 7:37:11 AM) The democrats just need to unite and do what is best for the country: get a good comprehensive health care bill passed now so they can move on to other things. The majority of Americans want this and it will be good for all. (Might even cut back on some of the fees doctors and hospitals charge). If you wonder where your health care dollars are going, drive by the home of your local cardiologist or insurance company executive some time.
	Report Comment ELENA, TULSA (10/23/2009 7:42:17 AM) RE: let them buy it themselves...you may be able to afford yours....they may be having a hard time just putting food on the table. My question is will buying it from the Gov't be cheaper? I don't know what our healthcare future is. I just know it's pretty expensive but it's better than not having it.
	Report Comment Welcome to America !, Claremore (10/23/2009 7:42:45 AM) I'm surprised that your nose hasn't grown to match those huge ears Obama ! DEMOCRATS ARE LIARS !
	Report Comment Jumbo, (10/23/2009 7:46:42 AM) Welcome to America!? Based on your comments, perhaps you should consider changing your screen name. How about: "Welcome to America - unless of course you might need help with something"
	Report Comment WhoseLeft, Tulsa (10/23/2009 7:57:27 AM) Agreed, Jumbo. Back when we protested the war in Vietnam, the opponents used to say: America, love it or leave it!
	Report Comment orly, Tulsa (10/23/2009 7:57:34 AM) Maybe I did not read close enough, did they come up with any plan of how to PAY for the $1 Trillion cost?
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (10/23/2009 8:00:55 AM) Public option with states having the option to drop out of the system. . Down farther it says, house legislation is taking shape to include a public option, although it is unlikely states would be allowed to opt out. . Interesting!
	Report Comment Welcome to America !, Claremore (10/23/2009 8:01:15 AM) Exactly, this stinking president thinks he can provide health care and lower the cost at the same time ! Just how to you do that ? You don't ! Now that they have control of the decision, the Lying Democrats are finally admitting this but it's too late for many to do anything about it. This not a bi-partisan decision, this is all your health-care plan Obama and you will pay for it !
	Report Comment Welcome to America !, Claremore (10/23/2009 8:01:58 AM) Do something to earn your keep, we are tired of providing everything for you at someone else's expense.
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/23/2009 8:07:41 AM) "Good-bye crooked, health insurance companies!' & Hello crooked government in every facet of our lives.
	Report Comment Welcome to America !, Claremore (10/23/2009 8:09:34 AM) 'Obama sees worst poll rating drop in 50 years...' Read the story on Drudge.
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/23/2009 8:10:28 AM) Orly, they will raise taxes & 'cut waste & fraud.' No thank you on the taxes & as for the waste & fraud. My question would be, WHY NOT CUT IT NOW???? Why not? They get too many kickbacks from it now.

25 of 215 comments displayed. | View All

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.