Govt report says health care overhaul won’t cut costs but will increase them

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Report: Health overhaul will increase nation’s tab

WASHINGTON — Government economic forecasters say President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul will increase the nation’s health care tab instead of bringing costs down.

The report by economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department, released late Thursday, says the health care remake will achieve Obama’s aim of expanding coverage.

But 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 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.