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CBO: Alexander-Murray Would Reduce Deficit by $3.8B

Number of insured Americans would not substantially change

A girl is examined by a physician’s assistant in Aurora, Colo. (John Moore/Getty Images)
A girl is examined by a physician’s assistant in Aurora, Colo. (John Moore/Getty Images)

The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday health care legislation proposed by Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray would reduce the deficit by $3.8 billion and not substantially affect the number of insured Americans.

The nonpartisan CBO said in a report that a bipartisan health care effort from Alexander of Tennessee and Murray of Washington would cut costs by $3.8 billion from 2018 to 2027.

The proposal recently drew fire from a number of Republicans and President Donald Trump over cost-sharing reduction subsidies that the federal government pays to insurance companies to keep costs down for low-income individuals.

Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady announced an alternative to fund the health care law’s cost-sharing reduction payments with conservative changes to the law, including relief from the individual and employer mandates. The two said they will release legislative text in the coming days.

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