The Senate Finance Committee is expected to pass its version of health care reform legislation today. But a new report — titled Potential Impact of Health Reform on the Cost of Private Health Insurance Coverage — warns about the likely impacts on individuals, families and businesses.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study looks at four key provisions:

• Insurance market reforms coupled with a weak coverage requirement
• A new tax on high-cost health care plans
• Cost-shiftng as a result of cuts to Medicare
• New taxes on health care sectors

Health care costs are going to go up absent any reforms. With this combination of provisions, the increases are projected to be significantly higher. How high? According to the study, the cost of private health insurance coverage will increase:

• 26 percent between 2009 and 2013 under the current system and by 40 percent
  during this same period if these four provisions are implemented
• 50 percent between 2009 and 2016 under the current system and by 73 percent
  during this same period if these four provisions are implemented
• 79 percent between 2009 and 2019 under the current system and by 111 percent

The authors wrote: "Market reform enacted in the absence of universal coverage will increase costs dramatically for many who are currently insured by creating a powerful incentive for people to wait until they are sick to purchase coverage."

Additional analysis and numbers are expected from the Congressional Budget Office after committee approval and before floor debate. This report certainly gives all involved something to consider.