WASHINGTON – Democrats trying to push President Obama's health care overhaul through the Senate received a sobering economic warning from a new government report Friday that raises troubling questions about the bill's cost.

The analysis from nonpartisan economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department concludes that the nation's health care tab will grow more rapidly under the Democratic plan senators are debating -- an estimated increase of $234 billion over 10 years. It also calls into question the Democrats' plan to squeeze $493 billion in savings from Medicare over 10 years, saying it "may be unrealistic."

In more bad news, the report released Friday warns that a new long-term care insurance plan included in the legislation could "face a significant risk of failure." The silver lining: The bill provides coverage to 93 percent of Americans...