The Patriot Post® · Republicans Offer Second Opinion on Health Care Reform

For what it’s worth, House Republicans have introduced their own health care reform plan. The 230-page draft is far shorter than the Democrats’ 2,000-page, $1.2 billion behemoth, and focuses on reducing the cost of care rather than providing it for everyone. The Associated Press reports:

The bill leaves out a number of the key features of the Democrats’ 1,990-page legislation, such as new requirements for employers to insure their employees and for nearly all Americans to purchase insurance. It also doesn’t block insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions, as Democrats would do.

Instead, the Republican plan increases incentives for people to use health savings accounts, caps non-economic jury awards in medical malpractice cases at $250,000, provides various incentives to states with the aim of driving down premium costs and allows health insurance to be sold across state lines.

Of course, the GOP plan is only a symbolic offering for the minority party, which holds only 177 seats in the House. And the problem won’t be solved by offering a “Republican” bill, though, in this case, the Republicans don’t try to invade private life like the Democrats do.

Potomac fever is chronic – trampling the Constitution simply because there is a majority willing to do so. If the Republicans really had guts, they would introduce a bill prohibiting federal interference in health care, while reaffirming the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. After all, debate on the details notwithstanding, Congress has no authority to take over health care.