Baucus: Healthcare bill under $1 trillion

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, says that his panel has a healthcare plan that will cost less than $1 trillion over 10 years and will not add to budget deficit.

“We are much closer on the scores for a health care reform package than we were at this point last week,” Baucus said in a statement. “We have options the Congressional Budget Office tells us would cost under $1 trillion and are fully paid for.”

The $1 trillion mark is a somewhat arbitrary but symbolically important number. Baucus said getting in under that mark will help the panel reach a bipartisan agreement.

“Based on these developments, I’m even more confident in our ability to move forward,” he said. “And as I’ve said before, we will not put out a mark until we are sure we have it right. I’ll continue to work with Senator Grassley and Senators on both sides of aisle to turn these options into a package that can pass the Senate and become law this year.”