Some of that is partisan rhetoric. A number of Republicans, including Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee, have offered legislative alternatives to Obamacare’s coverage mandates, higher taxes and government-run insurance options. Still, the GOP has been somewhat vulnerable because it hasn’t laid out a comprehensive approach.
Until now. The House’s top Republican, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, is about to release a reform proposal, analyzed for cost by the Congressional Budget Office, in the next few days. When it is unveiled, the GOP plan will be a valuable addition to the overall public debate, offering tangible contrast to the ideas being pushed by the congressional majority and the White House.
Some outlines have emerged already. Fundamentally, Republicans would target rising costs as a first priority instead of universal coverage. "If you drive down costs, you can expand access,” Boehner said Monday.
The GOP plan would make it easier to buy insurance across state lines, increasing private market competition and lowering costs. It would limit medical malpractice lawsuits while making it easier for individuals and small businesses to form insurance pools. It would send federal funds to states to establish pools for high-risk individuals.
Details will be important, obviously. But even in its general state, the Republican proposal appears more responsive to Americans’ chief concern — cost — while offering credible mechanisms to control them without remaking the health care system in Washington’s image.
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