Republican HealthCare Plan Up for A Vote : The Alterantive to ObamaCare

This is interesting in that the Journal says the Republicans are just now proposing an alternative to ObamaCare when Paul Ryan brought a proposal years ago that is very similar to the one they are now pushing.

GOP Wants Vote on Alternative Health Care Plan
Source: Kristina Peterson and Laura Meckler, "House Conservatives Push for GOP Health-Care Bill," Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2014.

June 2, 2014

House Republicans are seeking a vote on a health care plan that would serve as an alternative to Obamacare, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Responding to claims that Republicans have no alternative health care plan, Republican congressmen are looking to introduce a bill that would offer the public a different option. The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of lawmakers within the House, have offered one design, which they say would make it easier for individuals to hold onto their health plans if they switch jobs:

• Currently, workers do not pay taxes on employer-sponsored health care. The RSC plan would get rid of that provision and replace it with a tax break for the purchase of health policies.
• The plan would expand health savings accounts.
• It would increase federal support for high-risk pools in the states.
• The proposal would also make significant changes to medical liability laws.

According to reports, the GOP is divided as to the best way to tax health care plans and how to deal with coverage for the uninsured. According to experts, debate will likely boil down to whether an alternative plan would be effective in covering pre-existing conditions.