Sources: Senate Health Overhaul Costs Hit $1.6 Trillion

[WillowTree]

Jolted by cost estimates as high as $1.6 trillion, Senate Democrats agreed Tuesday to scale back planned subsidies for the uninsured and sought concessions totaling hundreds of billions of dollars from private industry to defray the cost of sweeping health care legislation.

At the same time, key Democrats disagreed openly among themselves over a proposed tax on health insurance benefits to pay for expanding coverage to the uninsured.

And a compromise with Republicans over a role for government in the insurance marketplace remained elusive.

Despite numerous uncertainties, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., announced that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee would begin formal work Wednesday on legislation to provide "successful, affordable, quality health care."

The meeting would mark the first public drafting session in either chamber on legislation to control the costs of health care while expanding coverage to the nearly 50 million who lack it -- a goal that President Barack Obama has placed atop his domestic agenda.








Sources: Senate Health Overhaul Costs Hit $1.6 Trillion - Political News - FOXNews.com