Baucus HealthCare Bill Might Actually Save Money?

It seems that the Baucus Bill might be just what health care reform needs to pass. It might even save some money:

Congressional budget experts estimated the proposal would reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 29 million over a decade. They also predicted the plan would trim federal deficits by $49 billion over the same period and suggested savings in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars might result for the decade that follows.

Many of the bill's major provisions would be delayed until 2013, after the next presidential election.

I think the 29 million covered is more then sufficient to say as many Americans as possible will have their health insurance. That 2013 time table though really takes some of the air out of all the people saying "the problems are getting so bad we have to ram it through by July 31st"

Also the bill has the cooperatives added in instead of the "government-run insurance company." If these coops are able to compete nationally then it would be a great idea. If they are state by state it won't save much money in the long run. The CBO director agrees

"They seem unlikely to establish a significant market presence in many areas of the country," wrote Douglas W. Elmendorf, head of the Congressional Budget Office.