I'm optimistic that this new bill will lower premiums by about $2,500 per year

[angelicwoman]

For the typical family, (which means that by 2019 we would be paying $2,500 less than we would be paying if nothing were done) as Obama promised during the campaign. Previous bills would have lowered premiums for 85% of the insured (that is, those with employer-sponsored insurance) by $0-300, a far cry from $2,500.

I would even settle for $2,000 or so. I can't wait to read the CBO analysis. Are you guys as optimistic as I am?

[Teaser]

1. I think it will do a good deal of good

although I am disappointed in some of its details.

[Oregone]

2. "Are you guys as optimistic as I am?"

No.

The costs probably wont really be reduced, but hidden and passed around in a shell game. Enjoy

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Nope, in fact, I oppose forcing people to pay money to the criminal health insurance companies.

They are criminals for crying out loud.

Would you support paying Al Quida a few hundred billion dollars a year if they promised to never again drive airplanes into American skyscrapers?

It would be cheaper than our current wars, and the average family would save money. Such a deal...


So seriously, would you favor making yearly multi hundred billion dollar payments to Al Quida in return for them not driving planes into US skyscapers?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. If you're over 50, the insurance companies have carte blanche to

charge you 3 times as much as other people.

Other countries don't do that.

[ProSense]

5. "Previous bills would have lowered premiums for 85% of the insured...by $0-300" Wrong

New Report Estimates Savings of $2,500 in Total Health Care Costs for a Typical Family under Health Reform

Using Findings of Additional Research, Study Finds Greater Deficit Reduction and Greater Savings for Families than CBO and CMS

Key Points:

• An important new study released this week analyzes the impact of the House and Senate reform bills on national health expenditures, the federal budget deficit, and the premiums and total health care costs for a typical family. By taking into account the implications of important research not reflected in previous analyses by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the new study finds greater cost savings than CBO and CMS.
  
  
• The report, “Why Health Reform Will Bend the Cost Curve,” was released by Karen Davis, President of the Commonwealth Fund, and David Cutler, Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Following are some key findings of the report.
  
  
• Both the House and Senate health reform bills would result in reductions in premiums for the typical family of $1,900 in 2019, compared to current law.
  
  
• When reductions in out-of-pocket costs and lower taxes for Medicare and Medicaid are added in, both the House and Senate health reform bills would result in savings in total health care costs for the typical family of $2,500 in 2019, compared to current law.
  
  
• Under the House bill, there would be deficit reduction of $459 billion over the next 10 years ($321 billion more than CBO estimates). Under the Senate bill, there would be deficit reduction of $409 billion over the next 10 years ($279 billion more than CBO estimates).
  
  
• The House bill would result in a reduction in national health care expenditures (public and private) of $532 billion over the next 10 years, compared to current law – the net result of $549 billion in increased medical spending due to covering 96 percent of non-elderly Americans offset by $1.081 trillion in total health system savings due to savings provisions, reduced administrative costs and payment and delivery system reforms.

Below is a more extensive overview of the findings of this new report, focusing on its findings regarding the House health reform bill.

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