CBO: House Bill Cuts Deficit More Than Senate Version
Score one for the House, perhaps. The Congressional Budget Office revised its estimate of the House health care bill Thursday, saying it would shrink the deficit by $139 billion in the first decade, $30 billion more than earlier estimates and $9 billion more than the Senate bill unveiled Wednesday by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).The CBO said it erred in scoring a new insurance program for long-term care in the first decade and underestimated the level of premiums that would be paid into the system.The catch? The House’s version of the program cuts the deficit the most in the early years but would have larger expenses in future decades than the Senate’s because more people would be covered.