Lawmakers Warned About Health Costs

[Beacool]

CBO Chief Says Democrats' Proposals Lack Necessary Controls on Spending

By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, July 17, 2009

Congress's chief budget analyst delivered a devastating assessment yesterday of the health-care proposals drafted by congressional Democrats, fueling an insurrection among fiscal conservatives in the House and pushing negotiators in the Senate to redouble efforts to draw up a new plan that more effectively restrains federal spending.

Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose "the sort of fundamental changes" necessary to rein in the skyrocketing cost of government health programs, particularly Medicare. On the contrary, Elmendorf said, the measures would pile on an expensive new program to cover the uninsured.

Though President Obama and Democratic leaders have repeatedly pledged to alter the soaring trajectory -- or cost curve -- of federal health spending, the proposals so far would not meet that goal, Elmendorf said, noting, "The curve is being raised." His remarks suggested that rather than averting a looming fiscal crisis, the measures could make the nation's bleak budget outlook even worse.

Elmendorf's blunt language startled lawmakers racing to meet Obama's deadline for approving a bill by the August break. The CBO is the official arbiter of the cost of legislation. Fiscal conservatives in the House said Elmendorf's testimony would galvanize the growing number of Democrats agitating for changes in the more than $1.2 trillion House bill, which aims to cover 97 percent of Americans by 2015.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071602242.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

:(

[Autumn]

1. The last paragraph is pretty

sad . They will do anything to maintain the status quo.

[Beacool]

3. Yep, it's always the same story.

That's why I think that we'll end up with a watered down bill that will not really please anyone.

;(

[asjr]

2. But they never tell us what the illegal

wars we are fighting have cost us and will cost us. I wish I had the nerve and funds to file suit against Bush and Cheney.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. They (and Bush's daddy) have "deep pockets"

We should sue them and can use the money that we get from said lawsuit to pay for REAL priorities and not the fake ones we've had shoved down our throats for the last 8 years.

[mopinko]

7. no, no, no the invasion of iraq will pay for itself.

we will steel their oil, and pay for it that way. silly.



















:sarcasm:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Have lawmakers ever been "warned" about the cost of "wars of choice" and illegal occupations?

Hmmmmmm???????
:mad:
If we have to invest some money to fix this problem, I say do it. It certainly will be a helluva lot more productive and helpful in the long run then keeping military occupations going for years.

[Beacool]

8. Nope, for that they always find the money.

They dig deep into the public kitty to finance the war machine.

:(

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. I know

That's why articles like this and Repuke whining always pi**es me off royally.

[Eric J in MN]

6. The problem with this article is that the House Democrats' bill....

...raises taxes on the rich to pay for the plan.

They know the plan costs money, hence the tax increase.

This article treats it as a surprise that the plan costs money.

[GeorgeGist]

10. Kill everyone ...

it's far cheaper that health care.

[Beacool]

11. OK.................

:(

[FrenchieCat]

12. CBO released another report Friday evening AFTER your WAPO article was written

and says otherwise....

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10464/hr3200.pdf


analysis:

CBO Scores Confirms Deficit Neutrality of Health Reform Bill

Washington, D.C. July 17, 2009 - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released estimates this evening confirming for the first time that H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, is deficit neutral over the 10-year budget window - and even produces a $6 billion surplus. CBO estimated more than $550 billion in gross Medicare and Medicaid savings. More importantly, the bill includes a comprehensive array of delivery reforms to set the stage for lowering the future growth in health care costs.

Net Medicare and Medicaid savings of $465 billion, coupled with the $583 billion revenue package reported today by the House Committee on Ways and Means, fully finance the previously estimated $1.042 trillion cost of reform, which will provide affordable health care coverage for 97% of Americans.

More... http://yubanet.com/usa/CBO-Scores-Confirms-Deficit-Neutrality-of-Health-Reform-Bill.php