A Serious Republican Health-Care Plan

Sept. 23 (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans are starting tofill in the details of what health-care policies they wouldprefer over Obamacare. The 175 conservative representatives inthe Republican Study Committee released a plan last week. It’s agood start, but there’s room for improvement.

The plan, which is mostly the work of Representatives PhilRoe and Steve Scalise, repeals President Barack Obama’s health-care law. It replaces the unlimited tax break for employer-provided health insurance with a new tax deduction -- $7,500 forindividuals or $20,000 for families -- to purchase healthinsurance, whether through an employer or on their own. It wouldlet insurers sell policies across state lines. And it would put$25 billion into high-risk pools to help people who would stillbe unable to buy insurance.