You May Want To Sit Down Before Reading This....Looks Like New Health Care Law Will, Are You Sitting Yet? Increase Health Care Costs

Shocking, right? Much like David Brooks finding out Obama isn't really a moderate, it was totally unforeseeable by everyone.

This isn't some wingnut study, it's from Obama's own Department of Health and Human Services.

President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law will increase the nation's health care tab instead of bringing costs down, government economic forecasters concluded Thursday in a sobering assessment of the sweeping legislation.

A report by economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department said the health care remake will achieve Obama's aim of expanding health insurance -- adding 34 million Americans to the coverage rolls.

But the analysis also found that the law falls short of the president's twin goal of controlling runaway costs, raising projected spending by about 1 percent over 10 years. That increase could get bigger, however, since the report also warned that Medicare cuts in the law may be unrealistic and unsustainable, forcing lawmakers to roll them back.

The mixed verdict for Obama's signature issue is the first comprehensive look by neutral experts.

...The report from Medicare's Office of the Actuary carried a disclaimer saying it does not represent the official position of the Obama administration.

The official position of the Obama administration is that this bill will lead to everyone getting a Unicorn processed of magical healing powers thus eliminating any need for health care.

So, with the law safely signed and on the books Now It Can Be Told! This is nothing more than a scheme to give poor, mostly Democratic voters, health care coverage at the expense of everyone else.

Hmmm. Not sure why they didn't make that their major selling point all along. Must be all that Obama "pragmatism" we heard so much about.

It's actually going to cost much more because as the report notes, most of the spending cuts are never going to happen and that's going to lead to, wait for it, new taxes and wait for it again, decreased economic growth.

Jim Geraghty notes a fair number of endangered Democrats justified their health care votes on cost cutting grounds. They've now got some 'splainning to do.

posted by DrewM. at 12:44 PM

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