CMS Report Affirms CBO Report On ObamaCare

If you'll remember, yesterday I mentioned the CBO report showing that the House ObamaCare bill would increase health costs... among other things.
http://politicsalabama.blogspot.com/2009/11/cbo-report-house-bill-reduces-medicare.html

Now the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also released a report... one that, in many ways, affirms the CBO report.
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/CMS_House_bill_increases_health_care_costs_.html

“With the exception of the proposed reductions in Medicare payment updates for institutional providers, the provisions of H.R. 3962 would not have a significant impact on future health care cost growth rates. In addition, the longer-term viability of the Medicare update reductions is doubtful,” the report said.

In other words, outside of Medicare payment cuts to hospitals, the bill doesn’t curb increasing health care costs. And even the Medicare payment cuts will be difficult to sustain.

The analysis is more bad news for Democrats, who are facing increasing criticism that their reforms don’t do enough to control costs. Republicans released the analysis and jumped on the news.

You can find the link to the report here:
http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.gov/UploadedFiles/OACT_Memorandum_on_Financial_Impact_of_H_R__3962__11-13-09_.pdf

And, of course, the White House took issue with this report and fired back.
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/DeParle_pushes_back_on_CMS_report.html

"This is not something they normally do," DeParle said of the study by the Chief Actuary office at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "It is an interesting analysis but it is pretty speculative though of what the impact will be on providers and beneficiaries. Our recent experience would indicate something quite different."

Yeah, pretty much political spin on an unfavorable report.

Keep your eyes on reality and one foot firmly on the ground. And if somebody offers to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, well...