They really don't know the cost

The White House briefing transcripts are becoming my new favorite reading material. Here is a portion from 9/10/2009.  It is in regards to the cost of health insurance.  Please tell me if you think Obama has even the slightest idea of what this will cost.  It baffles me that he can throw out assurances of cost effectiveness when they admit to not even knowing.  Enjoy.

Q Of the $900 billion cost over 10 years that the President said last night, could you outline and break down the specifics to how the White House would --

MR. GIBBS: I don't have some of that paper with me. I'll outline it in sort of broad effect. Obviously we have discussed, I think in some detail, the waste, fraud, and abuse that is prevalent in Medicare -- that strengthening the Medicare trust fund through spending health care dollars more wisely; ending the insurance company subsidies to Medicare Advantage. Obviously you have some amount of revenue from agreements with the hospitals and with the pharmaceutical industry, some of which will be used, in the pharmaceutical industry's example, to close the doughnut hole for seniors and again strengthen the Medicare program as we know it. Also some of that will be used for broader health care reform. And then obviously the fee that we talked about on insurance companies is a broad part of that, as well.

Q Do you have any estimate of how much that fee --

MR. GIBBS: I don't have that -- I don't have that with me.

Q Or even the threshold that the President would like to see?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I think, again, I think that's one of the things that we'll work through and discuss with Congress as we move forward. Obviously there are --

Q You haven't set a threshold.

MR. GIBBS: Not that I know of yet, no.

Q If it is so important to keep this deficit-neutral, why not outline specific ways of getting to the $900 billion --

MR. GIBBS: Again, I just outlined some very specific ways that the President seeks to do it.

Q But to break it down dollar -- dollar by dollar?

MR. GIBBS: Again, we're going to work with Congress on -- it would be hard to estimate the total amount raised by the fee on Cadillac insurance plans, the fee on insurance companies, without a threshold. Obviously that's something that we're going to discuss with Democrats and Republicans alike who have come to the table at this point in the debate, understanding that this proposal can do -- can do several things, including bend that cost curve.

Full briefing available below.