What does $1 trillion get you?

President Obama has said that his health care reforms will cost the nation $1 trillion. But what does $1 trillion get you?

Most assume that for $1 trillion, the United States will achieve universal coverage, and every man, woman and child in America will be covered. To many, this might be worth the cost. But that’s not what’s on the table so far.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill as put forth by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Sen. Edward Kennedy would, indeed, cost $1 trillion, but it would only decrease the number of uninsured by 16 million.

h/t: Investor’s Business Daily

UPDATE: John Goodman passes on the news that Health Systems Innovations’ analysis of the bill says that it will cost $4 trillion over ten years (pdf), but cover 99 percent of uninsured Americans.

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