The Los Angeles Times (4/23, Levey) reports, "The new healthcare overhaul championed by President Obama may result in lower Medicare premiums for seniors and a more sustainable Medicare program, according to an analysis of the legislation issued Thursday night by independent actuaries at" HHS. In addition, this analysis "suggests that the Medicare program will remain viable until 2029 -- longer than some earlier projections. Before passage of the healthcare overhaul, Medicare had been projected to slip into the red in 2017." Nevertheless, "the healthcare law also will push up the nation's total healthcare tab, as the federal government spends more than $800 billion over the next decade to expand health coverage to more than 33 million Americans, the analysts concluded."

        A brief AP (4/23) story on the analysis says, "The first comprehensive look at the health care law by neutral experts amounts to a mixed report card for Obama's top priority during his first year in office," because the "report says that the law falls short of the president's twin goal of controlling runaway costs. And it warns that Medicare cuts may be unrealistic and unsustainable."

        The Hill (4/23, Cusack) also reports that the analysis "finds that the bill President Barack Obama signed into law would cost $828 billion over the next decade, while saving $577 billion." But, these "projections do not take into account changes to the tax code that have been enacted. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that over the next 10 years, the healthcare package would decrease the deficit." The Hill goes on to say that, although the analysis "concludes that the healthcare overhaul will reduce the number of the nation's uninsured from 57 million to 23 million," it "raises several warnings about the impact of healthcare reform." For instance, higher "demand for health services could be difficult to meet initially with existing health resources and could lead to price increases [and] cost shifting." In addition, some employers may "stop offering their employees healthcare coverage benefits."

The AP (4/23, Ohlemacher) reports, "Nearly 4 million Americans -- the vast majority of them middle class -- will have to pay a penalty if they don't get insurance when President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law kicks in, according to congressional estimates released Thursday." These "penalties will average a little more than $1,000 apiece in 2016, the Congressional Budget Office said in a report." The AP adds, "Republicans have criticized the requirement that Americans get coverage, even though the idea was originally proposed by the GOP in the 1990s, and is part of the Massachusetts health care plan signed into law in 2006 by then Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican." Meanwhile, "attorneys general in more than a dozen states are working to challenge it in federal court as unconstitutional."

        Reuters (4/23, Dixon) reports that Republicans have also criticized the insurance mandate in the healthcare law because they say it will harm some poor Americans. But, Democrats argue that many more people will be insured because of the law. Notably, the IRS commissioner stated recently that the agency would most likely withhold the tax refunds of people who owe this tax, rather seize their belongings, or assess fines.

        The Washington Times (4/23, Lengell) reports that "Rep. Pete Stark, California Democrat and chairman of the House Ways and Means health subcommittee, said Republicans are exaggerating the extent of the penalty, adding that out of a population of 277 million people, less than 1.5 percent will pay this assessment in 2016." Stark stated, "Americans can opt to pay the penalty rather than purchase health insurance, but it is their choice. ... There is no penalty for people whose insurance would cost more than 8 percent of their income." CQ HealthBeat  also covers the story.

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