Krugman: new CBO estimate is good news

[ProSense]

The CBO on insurance premiums

The Congressional Budget Office has released its much-awaited estimate on how the Senate health care bill would affect premiums. It’s good news from the point of view of reform advocates: premiums would stay about the same for people with group coverage, while falling significantly for most of those in the small-group or individual markets. Jon Gruber has crunched the numbers, and produces this convenient chart (via Yglesias):




But here’s the thing: senior Republican politicians suffer from reading comprehension. (To be fair, the CBO report is written in a remarkably elliptical style). Several have already claimed that the report shows that premiums will rise.

And they probably won’t get called on it. More than that, in today’s Beltway, where David Broder can say that he can’t find an expert who believes the Senate bill is deficit neutral when the Congressional Budget Office says it is, the good news in this report may well just be ignored.

Anyway, for what it’s worth the CBO has now given the Senate bill a clean bill of, um, health on both its budget impact and its impact on families.

[Clio the Leo]

1. Just watch the GOP try to shoot it down....

..... they're already trying.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Of course. That is a forgone conclusion....

:mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke:

[jefferson_dem]

5. Not just GOPers...

A few trouble-making malcontents here on DU were crapping all over the CBO report earlier today.

Glad to see it passes the "Krugman test".

[depakid]

7. I'm glad Krugman likes it

Color me unimpressed.

I have far more faith in the insurance industry than that, based on the current bill.

[ProSense]

8. "I have far more faith in the insurance industry than that" Good for you. n/t

[depakid]

9. Comes from MANY years of experience

They're not about to give that cash cow up unless and until they're forced to. They'll get their increases one way or another.

[Cha]

3. Thanks.

[HughMoran]

4. Good

Let's not forget about healthcare!

[Peacetrain]

6. good news !!