A new Congressional Budget Office analysis showing that the health-care bill pending on the Senate floor would not substantially boost premiums for most Americans could generate more support from moderate Democrats, who are crucial to passing the measure. But industry and union officials remain concerned about key provisions of the $848-billion measure and say passage before Christmas is more and more unlikely.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a combination of bills that cleared the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees, would cover an additional 31 million Americans and impose new requirements on insurance companies and employers. It also would create insurance exchanges through which individuals could buy coverage, including a federally subsidized “public option.”