It Figures

$1 Trillion

Price tag for the healthcare bill that recently passed in the House of Representatives.

The bill would set up exchanges where people could choose to purchase private plans or a government-run insurance option bitterly opposed by the insurance industry, and it would offer subsidies to help low-income Americans buy insurance.

The bill also would bar insurers from excluding people for pre-existing conditions and from charging more based on medical history.

Congressional budget analysts say the bill would extend coverage to 36 million uninsured people living in the United States, covering about 96 percent of the population, and would reduce the budget deficit by about $100 billion over 10 years.

The bill now moves to the Senate, but there’s no guarantee a bill will pass before the end of the year, Senate leaders say.