House GOP health plan would cover relatively few

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional budget umpires say the House Republican health plan would only make a small dent in the number of uninsured Americans.

In an analysis released late Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office said the GOP plan would reduce the number of uninsured by 3 million.

The Democratic bill, by comparison, would reduce the number of uninsured by 36 million. Both estimates are for the year 2019.

While the Democrats' bill would cover 96 percent of eligible Americans, the Republican alternative would cover 83 percent — roughly comparable to current levels.

The budget office says the Republican plan would reduce federal deficits by $68 billion over the 10 year period, and push down premiums for privately insured people.