That's the cost of the House health insurance reform bill unveiled today by Nancy Pelosi—which, though it sounds like a big number, is relatively low in the world of comprehensive reform proposals. So that's good news.
In its size and scope, the House bill is very similar to a measure under development by the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada.
The more similar the House and Senate bills are, the more likely we are to see quick passage through both houses of Congress.
But, of course, crucial differences remain on complicated, sticky issues like the public option, the millionaire's tax, and the employer mandate.
Get down in the weeds and read all about them here and here and here. But when you come back up out of the weeds, remember: in the big picture, we're closer to Congress passing meaningful health insurance reform than we've been in decades.
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