Obamacare’s Failings Undermine Republican Goals
Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- On May 20, 2009, four Republicans --Representatives Paul Ryan and Devin Nunes and Senators RichardBurr and Tom Coburn -- unveiled their alternative to the health-care plans then being considered by congressional Democrats.“We have introduced a comprehensive health care reform bill,the Patients’ Choice Act that, we believe, will bring us farcloser to the goal of universal coverage than the Obama plan,”they wrote in a joint essay.
This was in the heady months of possibility beforeRepublicans concluded that their optimal health-care policywould be repeal-and-mumblemumble. The Patients’ Choice Act was athoughtful effort to expand coverage. It had much in common withthe plan that ultimately became Obamacare. The biggestsimilarity -- reflecting a shared heritage in conservativehealth-care-reform circles -- was a reliance on state-basedinsurance exchanges.