Predictions that the health care bill passed Saturday by the House of Representatives would, if enacted, cost far more than current estimates were not based solely on experience with federal programs. That would be enough to draw the conclusion, of course; government programs, particularly those involving health care, have cost taxpayers far more than claimed when the programs were established.

But in the case of the House health care bill, there is no doubt about cost overruns. That is because the bill's language includes several programs with costs left open.

According to a published report, more than two dozen aspects of the health care plan are listed at funding for "such sums as may be necessary." That could send the bill's cost skyrocketing far beyond the initial estimates, which themselves have been vague. They range from $900 billion to $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

It has been pointed out that the "such sums as may be necessary" strategy is common in Congress, used by both Democrats and Republicans for all sorts of government programs. No wonder the federal deficit keeps climbing, even as lawmakers and presidents insist that it must be gotten under control.

In a program as massive as that contained in the health care proposal, unspecified costs no doubt will be enormous. Who knows how many billions - or hundreds of billions - of dollars they would add to the program's cost?

That is reason enough for the Senate to reject the House health care bill.