CBO estimates final US health bill will cut deficit

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The Congressional Budget Office said on Thursday a final healthcare bill with changes sought by congressional Democrats would reduce the deficit by $138 billion over 10 years.

In a preliminary estimate, the non-partisan budget analysts said the bill would cost $940 billion over the same period, meeting the budgetary target set by President Barack Obama last month on his top domestic priority.

(Reporting by Donna Smith and John Whitesides; editing by David Alexander)