"Congressional budget experts predicted the controversial government insurance option would probably cost consumers somewhat more than private coverage. [Emphasis mine]

"The cost of additional coverage alone was slightly more than $1 trillion over a decade.

"Another $230 billion or more in higher fees for doctors treating Medicare patients was stripped out and will be voted on separately.

"It will raise the cost of Americans' health insurance premiums; it will kill jobs with tax hikes and new mandates, and it will cut seniors' Medicare benefits."

The bill requires most Americans to have health insurance by 2013, with fines as much as 2.5% of income if they don't. It would leave 96% of legal U.S. residents with health insurance by 2019, up from 83% today.

Employers that don't offer health insurance face fines equal to 2% of their payroll in companies with minimum annual payrolls of $500,000 a year. The fines increase to 8% of payroll for employers whose annual payroll exceeds $750,000.

Firms with a payroll of less than $500,000 would be exempt.

"Like the Senate measure, the House bill would be financed through new taxes and more than $400 billion in cuts to government health programs, primarily Medicare."

The Senate is expected to propose a series of annual fees on the health-care industry and a 40 percent tax on high-cost insurance policies �

House Democrats remain adamantly opposed to the Senate's tax approach, arguing that a tax on high-cost health policies would strike many � union members who have bargained away wages in exchange for better health benefits.