CBO's conceptual language obscures true cost of health care bill

Michael Barone has the story:

More significant is the number most publications did not put in their headlines and lead paragraphs: the CBO's estimate that the Baucus "conceptual language" would increase federal spending by $829 billion over ten years. So how do you increase federal spending and cut the deficit at the same time?

One way is taxes. The Baucus conceptual language includes a tax on high-cost insurance plans ($210 billion), penalties for not having insurance ($27 billion), and "indirect offsets" (whatever they are -- $83 billion). In addition, costs are fobbed off on state governments in the form of more Medicaid spending, and savings are projected from future reductions in Medicare that will surely turn out to be imaginary (Congresses of both parties have acted to prevent such reductions every year since 2003).