Last night on Daily Kos and a number of other wbsite, word got out about a press release issued by the Tri-committee Task Force and Health Care Reform that the completed CBO Report determined that the House health care plan is deficit neutral at worst and may even result in a surplus. Today, the homepage of Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirms it.
Pelosi Statement on New CBO Score on Health Reform Legislation
Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the score issued last night by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on the America's Affordable Health Choices Act:
"The CBO report confirms that The America's Affordable Health Choices Act delivers on a critical promise President Obama and the House have made to the American people: health insurance reform legislation will be paid for.
"After an historic day yesterday when two out of three committees in the House passed the legislation, Congress has made major progress on health insurance reform that will put patients and doctors back in charge, ensure quality, affordable, and accessible health care for America’s middle class and control the spiraling costs of health care through innovative reforms.
"As the legislative process moves forward, we will continue to look for ways to squeeze more savings out of the system."
# # #
See also the Tri-Committees' news release issued last night in response to the CBO score:
"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...The estimates also cover important reinvestments in Medicare and Medicaid, including phasing in the closing of the “donut” hole in the Medicare drug benefit. The bill’s long-term reform of Medicare’s physician fee schedule to eliminate the potential 21 percent cut in fees, and put payments on a sustainable basis for the future, will cost about $245 billion. Those costs, however, are not included in the net calculations above, as they will be absorbed under the upcoming statutory 'pay go' legislation that is pending in the House."
Looking at the link CBO Report, it looks similar to the original report, but this MAY be the key paragraph.
According to CBO’s and JCT’s assessment, enacting H.R. 3200 would result in a
net increase in the federal budget deficit of $239 billion over the 2010-2019 period.
That estimate reflects a projected 10-year cost of the bill’s insurance coverage
provisions of $1,042 billion, partly offset by net spending changes that CBO
estimates would save $219 billion over the same period, and by revenue provisions
that JCT estimates would increase federal revenues by about $583 billion over those
10 years.
It's hard to tell by reading it, but with the Speaker's office comments, there must be something in this report or another that means good new for our side.
Update [2009-7-19 1:57:37 by RandySF]:
pronin2 has a new diary up with greater detail. Please recommend it and add new comments there.
Update [2009-7-19 3:16:44 by RandySF]:
The Freepers are already howling and I got my hate mail of the night.
Health Care
From: jeff childress (Removed)
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as junk
Sent: Sun 7/19/09 12:09 AM
To: randymi30@hotmail.com (randymi30@hotmail.com)
The MAJORITY of Americans know that this BITCH you quote cant find her mouth. Keep it up, Dems are doin great!
Classy.