[ROCKLOBSTER]

I know what the tenets of the Republicans plan would look like, such as tort reform, selling insurance across State lines, high risk pools, etc.

Yeah, pretty much...plus "Association Health Plans" which gives anyone access to a large group.

Has there been formally been a plan introduced by the GOP...

Only until they are blue in the face. You mean you haven't seen it mentioned in the press? Hmmm.....

[cripplecreek]

While he isn’t my preferred senate candidate, this ad with Pete Hoekstra holding the democrat plan vs the republican plan is pretty good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03THar5bUTA&feature=youtu.be

[sloop]

reject the premise

‘something’ DOES NOT ‘HAVE’ to be done

their ‘something’ has created the $200 aspirin - they are not smart enough to ‘fix’ it

free healthcare (or affordable) is not a government function

if your health is so unimportant to you that you are unwilling to pay for it, die in the street - don't force me to pay for YOUR health when you don't care enough to pay for it

gather all your crap about you - you ipads and titanium cable plan - while on your death bed and die

[hoosiermama]

Over 13,000 pages of regulation
150+ new taxes....Some of them having nothing to do with health care.

[concerned about politics]

I don't think just saying we will dump ObamaTaxCare is enough. I believe we need to have something to tell the American Public what will be put in it's place as a viable alternative.

Why? Just leave it to the individual states to come up with a plan that will work for them. If the Fed would like to make it easier, they could allow competition across state lines, and tort reform where loser pays to decrease the frivolous lawsuits. That should be plenty, don't you think?

Romney Care seems to be OK for Massachusetts, but another state may like something different. Let the PEOPLE choose what they want. Who could argue with that?

Do you think states want homo "marriage" forced on them? No, they don't.
Do they want sanctuary city status forced on them? No, they don't.
Why force a massive liberal federal program on them for health care if they don't want it? It doesn't make sense.

[chuckee]

Dumping Obamacare falls under the do no harm rule. Tis better to have no plan than to have Obamacare. Much like it is better to have an empty chair in the Oval Office than having Obama occupy it.The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot afford Obamacare as a nation. Contrary to Dem representations that it pays for itself, it does not and it will drive the deficit and debt up. Additionally I have seen projections that this pipedream of covering people with preexisting conditions effortlessly is just that - a pipedream. I have seen estimates that premiums on those currently insured who will be subsidizing folks with preexisting conditions by merging them in the healthy pool will rise 35% to 100% over time to compensate private carriers required to cover those with pre exiting conditions. All of this is hidden from view.But this argument will fall on deaf ears of your Dem friends as they have no concept of the realistic impact of deficits and debt on the future. Their mindsets are focused exclusively on the benefits side of the ledger without regard to cost. That is why they are Democrats.

[Perdogg]

Portability of heathcare insurance across state lines. More competition, less cost.

[DiogenesLamp]

...when I present them facts ... they simply ignore them.

Here is your problem. They are emotion driven people. They don't do well with facts. If they did, they could add numbers up and figure out that every liberal idea ever thought of is a failure.

The only thing that works on these people is emotion. You have to lead with emotion, you have to argue with emotion, and you can only beat them with emotion.

I know this is a difficult concept for a fact driven person to wrap their mind around, but I assure you that irrational arguments work on irrational people. Focus on "Death Panels" and cite England's NHS as an example. Moan about all the poor people who are suffering because the government runs medicine with as much empathy as the Nazis ran death camps.

Use arguments like that, and you'll have better luck. But facts? They are often a hindrance when arguing with Liberals. In a nation that knows more about Snooki than they do about George Washington, reasoning is a waste of time.

[hoosiermama]

Talked with three “independent’ oouples over the holiday. The only thing the seem to know is positive item. ...keeping kids till 26 on parents healthcare etc.

MSM and GOPee are not getting the message out. Repealing Obamacare with out telling why and what will replace it is not helping the cause.

Message needs to be simple :

TAXATION BY MISREPRESENTATION (250+ new taxes)

Or by a few bullet points. Got two, need one or two more.

REPEAL OBAMACARE
* Over 230 new taxes, (some not dealing with health care)
* 13,000 pages of regulation emerged from the new laws it creates.

Maybe a creative Freeper can make graphic from them for all of us to share.

[Ron C.]

Sad to say, firedawg - you're wasting your time trying to talk to any liberal about government-run health care.

There is no other alternative to the soundly discredited socialized medical care systems around this world - other than government-hands-off policies of freedom that we have had.

Just look at the world-wide record. England, where health-care is a murderous joke, leaving the elderly to die without so much as a saddened glance - while throwing them out the door.

Look at the gigantic failure in Canada, where many (no most) came to the US and paid for care they could not get in Canada.

The only alternative is freedom. Freedom to buy health-care options from vendors free to create and market decent, competitive and affordable plans - without any sort of government interference - the kind of plans that I've been able to purchase in the United States since the early 1960's - without socialist wreaking-balls getting in my way.

Simply put, any American that thinks socialized medicine in this nation will be a success are more than just fooling themselves - they are trying to fool you, while often lying through their teeth, knowingly wanting to destroy what is left of the greatest healthcare system this world has ever known.

Tell them that history and common-sense proves that socialized medical care is a hideous world-wide failure.

[Talisker]

I believe we need to have something to tell the American Public what will be put in it's place as a viable alternative.

The answer is this thing called "competition."

Right now, there's all sorts of restrictions on health insurance providers. Like they can't cross State lines, they have to keep certain minimums, they can't include various things under various circumstances.

And while the restrictions are created by the government, the health insurance itself lobbies for the restrictions, in order to destroy competition, so fewer and fewer, and bigger and bogger, health insurers exist.

It's all bull. Get rid of the free market restictions, and the health insurance business will explode with competition, and helath care costs will plummet - and then the Left won't be able to use it's whip hand against people to join the "collective" over this issue, because healthcare will be affordable and easy to get by everyone, and the tax burden will be negligible.

Ah, and medical research will be unstrapped that way as well, so people can invest without fear they won't be able to develop their inventions except under government and mega-corporate control and domination.

The free market is the answer you're looking for.

[GSWarrior]

Everyone is missing the point. Anytime you leave 50% of the American population out of the formulation of healthcare reform the result will be chaos and confusion.

The two parties HAVE to work together if they are serious about reforming healthcare.

[rlmorel]

LIBERAL: You want to get rid of "The Affordable Care Act"! What are you going to put in its place?

CONSERVATIVE: First, it is ObamaCare. Stop calling it "The Affordable Care Act", because it most certainly is not going to make health care more affordable except perhaps to those who won't pay anything anyway...

LIBERAL: It IS "The Affordable Care Act"! You only call it "ObamaCare" because you are racist and hate President Obama!

CONSERVATIVE: It ISN'T "ObamaCare"? Oh, really? If it isn't "ObamaCare", can you explain to me why it is branded as such on the Whitehouse.gov website with THIS logo?

Now, if it isn't "ObamaCare", explain that logo to me? Hmm?

LIBERAL: YOU didn't answer my question! What are you going to replace it with?

CONSERVATIVE: Why replace it? Why not fix it and find a way to take care of people who don't have insurance?

LIBERAL: Healthcare doesn't work! We have the WORST healthcare in the world...

CONSERVATIVE: Oh, good God. Let me ask you this, if we have the WORST healthcare in the world, why is it that people come to this country in droves for healthcare? And they come from places that have socialized medicine. Answer THAT, will you?

LIBERAL:But...but...

CONSERVATIVE: Stop slavering. Look, I will make it simple for you. Rubes like you and your socialist liberal buddies can't think past Stage One. You are restricted to "Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad" thinking. A mile wide and a quarter inch deep. But the ability to make money and create jobs in health care fosters innovation and compels providers to stay up to date with technology and techniques. It isn't perfect, but as a whip to spur improvement and innovation, nothing motivates like money and competition.

LIBERAL: The system is broken from top to bottom, and it has to be destroyed and built up by people who can be trusted to do it impartially and fairly: The Government!

CONSERVATIVE: Sorry. I didn't mean to spit my coffee all over you. Really, I didn't. But you did say "trusted", "impartially", and "fairly" in the same sentence as "The Government". I guess it is a good thing you didn't say "affordably" or "efficiently" too, since we would have had to call in a cleanup crew to dispose of my innards which would have followed that coffee out. But seriously. The Government is the answer? Sorry...

LIBERAL:That's right! It has never been tried before! The current system has failed and we need to try a different way! The Government way!

CONSERVATIVE: Please don't interrupt me. As I was saying...sorry. It HAS been tried before and failed everywhere it has been tried. Britain should be enough as an example, but there are a host of others that have failed miserably.

LIBERAL: They all did it wrong! WE would do it right, because we have the most talented people-

CONSERVATIVE: Yeah. You guys CONSTANTLY say that. You say it about Communism, welfare, government, and now healthcare. It never-

LIBERAL: NO! We are-

CONSERVATIVE: Hey. Let me finish. The next time you cut me off I am going to stuff upholstery from a Prius into your mouth and tie you to a chair with wires from a Chevy Volt. This is what-

LIBERAL: How DARE you threaten me! I-

Scuffling sounds ensue.

CONSERVATIVE: As I was saying...this is what we need to do: First, Tort reform. Until that happens, the cost of healthcare won't come down. Nothing will change. Secondly, allow the free market to make competition more of a factor, getting rid of state line restrictions and so on. Thirdly, begin a process to allow normal prices to find their levels by changing the nature of insurance as it is currently offered. Once tort reform is in place, doctors won't have to practice as much defensive medicine, and healthcare providers will find a way to offer services that will give people what they want at prices they can better afford.

LIBERAL: Mmmmphhhh! Mmmmph!

CONSERVATIVE: Funny. I have heard it is tough to talk to liberals. I don't think this is very difficult at all!

LIBERAL: MMMMMPHHHH! MMMMMMMMMMPHHHHHPHHHH!

CONSERVATIVE: Anyway, having the government manage it is not the answer. Name one program the government manages that does a great job.

LIBERAL: THMMM MRRTLY!

CONSERVATIVE:Of course you would say "The Military". All liberals trot that out as an example. You guys all HATE it and want to dissolve it so you can use the funds for your own comically inefficient and useless social programs, so that doesn't surprise me at all. You probably have never served, so it isn't evident to you, but the fact that military actions by their nature are extremely wasteful conceals the fact that the military is basically a bureaucracy that is very, VERY inefficient. But when you need to destroy something, efficiency doesn't matter.

LIBERAL:MMMMHH! MMMHHH! MGGGHHHMMMPH! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGRRRHRHHHHRRHHHH!!!!!!!

CONSERVATIVE: I can see we are done here. In parting, destroying something that is functioning reasonably well in order to make it run perfectly is a Fool's Errand. I know that is something you utopians all think you are good at, but I would prefer you just keep your damn fingers out of it. And don't worry about that stuffing from the Prius...I heard they made it a "green" car, so even though it runs on coal generated electricity-

LIBERAL: MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

CONSERVATIVE: Yeah. I know. To you guys, that is as disorienting as hearing your parents once had sex, but it is true. Coal Powered Cars. Anyway, they made the rest of the car "green", so the stuffing is probably biodegradable. I am sure someone will come around before it biodegrades though, so that shouldn't be an issue. Cya!

[privatedrive]

The answer is free markets. Allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Less Regulation! Empower the States to figure out what works best for them. Duh, Mitt?

[EternalVigilance]

what the Republicans plan is

A more competent form of socialism.

As much outside the Enumerated Powers as ObamaCare.

[MV=PY]

Regardless of what the GOP comes up with (tweaking knobs when the problem is systemic), I always like to point out the free market successes in the medical industry.

Have a look at the cost of market-driven medical procedures like lasik and cosmetic surgeries. These technologies were allowed to flourish outside of the formal “medical insurance” domain, and show the power of the free market meeting demand.

Can you imagine what the healthcare industry could be if the power of competition were unleashed?

[wheezewiz]

It seems that the Republicans have bought into the Democratic argument that healthcare is a responsibility of the federal government. It is not! Historically, healthcare policies have been up to the states (and to the individual). Things really got screwed up when the feds got involved. We need to return these programs to the states and remove all federal mandates/regulations regarding them. The states are the laboratories of democracy...let them have a go at it!

[2111USMC]

We have the best health care system in the world.

Let’s not fix something that isn’t broken.

[radu]

The Republicans put together at least three bills that I'm aware of. They may have put together more. I knew I'd saved at least one of the bills and had to dig through the stuff I've saved to find it. Needed to get the bill number since I couldn't remember it.

This is the bill sponsored by Sen. Baucus in 2009 and it's only a couple hundred pages, versus the ObamaTax monstrosity.

[DrC]

This is as good a plan as any: http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/how-to-replace-obamacare

The Ryan plan includes reform of Medicare, Medicaid and the tax exclusion for employer health coverage. I don’t think it gets into dealing with pre-existing conditions through state high risk pools or tort reform.
http://paulryan.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=56750