US healthcare bill will reduce deficit

The US Congressional Budget Office says the final version of the Democrats\' healthcare plan will cut the federal deficit by $138 billion over 10 years.



The non-partisan body says the proposed legislation, which will likely be voted on in the House on Sunday, will cost about $940 billion over the same period.



According to US President Barack Obama, the bill represents the most significant effort to reduce the deficit since the 1990s.



If approved, it will also represent the biggest change in the US healthcare system since the creation in the 1960s of Medicare, the government-run scheme for Americans aged 65 or over.