Up to 3 Million Fewer Insured

A report by the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday said the Supreme Court’s ruling on President Obama’s health-care law could mean 3 million fewer people will have insurance than originally predicted. Of the 33 million people who had been expected to gain coverage under the law, the CBO said 3 million fewer would get insurance since the court said the large expansion of Medicare originally envisioned would be a state option, not a federal requirement. While it is not clear how many states will opt out of the expansion, the CBO said 6 million fewer people will be covered under Medicaid, although half of those will probably be eligible for insurance through private companies. Meanwhile, the CBO said the health-care ruling could save the federal government $84 billion over the next 11 years.