Democrats but fiercely opposed by both Republicans and key Democratic moderates . It also eliminates a deeply unpopular provision in the Senate bill worked in by Sen. Ben Nelson , D-Nebraska , that would exempt his Midwestern state from paying increased Medicaid expenses . Administration officials said Obama 's measure would cut the deficit by $ 100 billion over the next 10 years . They estimate the total cost of the bill to be $ 950 billion in the next decade . The Senate bill would cost an estimated $ 871 billion , according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office , while the more expansive House plan has been estimated to cost more than $ 1 trillion . The release of Obama 's plan sets the stage for a critical televised health care summit Thursday with top congressional Republicans . The White House is trying to pressure GOP leaders to present a detailed alternative proposal in advance of the meeting . `` We view this as the opening bid for the health meeting '' on Thursday , White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told reporters . `` We took our best shot at bridging the differences '' between the House
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration raised the stakes in the health care debate Monday , releasing a new blueprint that seeks to bridge the gap between measures passed by the Senate and House of Representatives last year . If enacted , the president 's sweeping compromise plan would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago . The White House said it would extend coverage to 31 million Americans . Among other things , the White House said it would expand Medicare prescription drug coverage , increase federal subsidies to help people buy insurance and give the federal government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies . It increases the threshold -- relative to the Senate bill -- under which a tax on high-end health insurance plans would kick in . As with both the House and Senate plans , it includes significant reductions in Medicare spending in part through changes in payments made under the Medicare Advantage program . President Obama 's plan does not include a government-run public health insurance option , an idea strongly backed by liberal