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GOP to Push Gradual, Market-Based Health Reform

Party will offer clear alternatives at summit with Obama

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 9, 2010 5:44 AM CST
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(Newser) – Congressional Republicans will likely bring a well-developed alternative road map to health care reform to their summit with President Obama, based on an examination of past actions. The GOP favors a far more market-oriented and less comprehensive approach to reform, according to a New York Times analysis of bills the GOP has offered in the last few years and on Republican criticism of Democratic proposals.

GOP proposals—which include making it easier to sell insurance across state lines and expanding the role of private insurance companies in Medicare— won't extend coverage to nearly as many uninsured people as the Democrats' plan would, but party leaders say they can achieve gradual progress without a huge economic cost to the nation. The party is in agreement with the Democrats on some aspects of reform, including the need to focus on preventive medicine and to make price and quality data on doctors and hospitals more accessible.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) signs the Declaration of Health Care Independence the Republicans unveiled ahead of the State of the Union on Capitol Hill in Washington last month.
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) signs the Declaration of Health Care Independence the Republicans unveiled ahead of the State of the Union on Capitol Hill in Washington last month.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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It is arrogant to imagine that 100 senators are wise enough to reform comprehensively a health care system that constitutes 17% of the world’s largest economy. - Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 14 comments
then-came-jen
Feb 9, 2010 12:45 PM CST
I've had this discussion with my mom over the last several weeks, as she's trashed the Dem's "health care bill that will tax me into an early grave" and lauded every little thing the Repubs have whispered about. I finally told her yesterday, after she sent me a WSJ op-ed, that I'm ALL for easy, less fuss, less muss, as long as it were robust enough. And that's the problem with the right's suggestions - there hasn't been anything robust enough to actually do any good. Both sides have flaws in their plans, but if they would just put away their cry-baby differences, they might actually come up with something good. They need to come up with a plan that will ensure affordable insurance coverage for every citizen, while also lowering much of the underlying cost of medical treatment. If this comes hand-in-hand with Tort reform, raising the retirement age, and overhauling medicaid, etc., then so be it. Both sides agree on quite a few points, and differ on many others. They need to agree to make concessions to each other if they want to get something passed. Unfortunately, both sides are busy holding out the evil eye to the other party... so if something doesn't get passed this year, I'm afraid it will be another decade-plus before we actually make inroads again.
QueenAlli
Feb 9, 2010 11:53 AM CST
This is A Joke right? Is this the same reform that left 52 million people uninsured. The ideas presented here are the same they have been talking about all last year and the president told them in the last Q+A that they didn't stand up to independent review. Our health insurance/care system is already market based - ask the people of california. Fucking retards - the GOP
Derni
Feb 9, 2010 11:47 AM CST
So we still have people uninsured-nice-while they enjoy health care-excellent care paid for by the tax payers-they leave the largest group uninsured-the unemployed and those between 23 and 28 yrs oldthis counjtry is the new ROME on the way down..get use to being # 2-3-and 25..we've had our day in the sun.

 
health care industry • Medicaid • health care reform • Congressional Republicans • Senate health care bill • House health care bill • health care summit

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