Experts begin calculating Senate health bill impact on consumers

The Washington Post: "While confusion reigned on Capitol Hill on Wednesday over the prospects and details of a Senate deal to replace a government-run insurance plan with other measures, it is not too soon to ask what the proposal would mean for regular people."

Based on the Senate's recent revisions, the short answer is "that those without employer-provided insurance would have more options for buying coverage, but if they are younger than 55, their money would go to a private insurer, no matter what. Rates would be more competitive than what they are offered now, but possibly less so than under a 'public option.'" (MacGillis, 12/10).

The Associated Press reports on the big picture of new benefits's costs. "President Barack Obama's health care overhaul — now looking like a real possibility — should give uninsured Americans options they've never had before. But it won't be a free ride. As with the Medicare prescription drug benefit that passed when Republicans ran Washington, consumers will face a complicated lineup of health plan choices — and they'll be costly for some" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/10).