Who's telling the truth? The New York Times or Obama?

Yesterday, President Obama and the New York Times said two contradictory things about health care costs and the Baucus' bill. Let's see.

Obama (10-13-09): Most importantly, this bill goes a long way towards offering security to those who have insurance, and affordable options for those who don't. It reins in some of the worst practices of the insurance industry, like the denial of coverage due to preexisting conditions. It also sets up an insurance exchange that will make coverage affordable for those who don't currently have it. And as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has certified, it will slow the growth of health care costs in the long term and it will not add a penny to our deficit.

New York Times (10-13-09): Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said his agency had not estimated the impact of the bill on overall national health spending, public and private, and could not say whether it would “bend the cost curve,” as Mr. Obama and lawmakers want.

Did the CBO issue an estimate about health care costs (premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, etc.)? Or not?

Health care costs are not the same as the deficit. That's why Obama treated them separately in his remarks on october 13th. We know the CBO estimated the effect of the bill on the deficit. but what about health care costs? (premiums, out of pocket costs, etc.).

affect our overall spending totals, in others words save us money by lowering costs.


"The Congressional Budget Office said the bill would cost $829 billion over 10 years. The costs include $345 billion for the expansion of Medicaid and $461 billion for subsidies to help lower-income people buy insurance.

The budget office said the costs would be completely offset by new fees and taxes and by cutbacks in Medicare, so federal budget deficits in the next 10 years would be $81 billion lower than now projected.

But Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, said his agency had not estimated the impact of the bill on overall national health spending, public and private, and could not say whether it would �bend the cost curve,� as Mr. Obama and lawmakers want."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/health/policy/14health.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper