WASHINGTON – Democrats on a key Senate committee are circulating details of a revised health care plan that includes a government-backed insurance option and a fee on employers if they do not offer coverage to their workers.
In a letter to members of the HELP Committee, the backers of the plan say it will result in 97 percent of Americans having health coverage, at a net cost of slightly over $600 billion over the next 10 years. That's far less than an earlier $1 trillion estimate from the Congressional Budget Office in mid-June.
A description of the plan was sent to committee members in a letter Wednesday night from Sens. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Chris Dodd of Connecticut. The Associated Press obtained a copy.