A report released by the Commonwealth Fund and the Center for American Progress Action Fund analyzed the House and Senate’s health care reform bills (HR 3962 and HR 3590), finding that both would significantly reduce health care spending and reduce the national deficit by more than the CBO estimates.  The report finds that, over ten years, the House bill (HR 3962) and the Senate bill (HR 3590) would reduce the deficit by $459 billion and $409 billion, respectively.  Both estimates indicate that the bills will reduce the deficit by approximately $300 billon more than the CBO’s estimates.  The report also estimates that, over a decade, the House bill would reduce national health expenditures by $532 billion while the Senate bill would reduce expenditures by $638 billion.  The authors note that those figures are not comparable to CBO estimates because they represent total national health care savings rather than federal savings.  

Full report: Why Health Reform Will Bend the Cost Curve (PDF | 753 KB)

The Commonwealth Fund and Center for American Progress Action Fund. (2009). Why health reform will bend the cost curve. Cutler, D.M.; Davis, K.; & Stremikis, K.