Originally published February 9, 2010 at 11:50 a.m., updated February 9, 2010 at 11:50 a.m.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Congressional Republicans, prepping to meet with President Barack Obama to discuss healthcare, have mapped out their plan to reform the U.S. system.
Their ideas to make health insurance more accessible and affordable would emphasize tax incentives and state innovations, wouldn't include federal mandates and would modestly expand the federal safety net, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Congressional Republicans will meet with Obama Feb. 25 at the Blair House to hash out their differences on healthcare reform during a televised session. The House and Senate already passed Democratic versions of healthcare reform.
Republicans rely on the market more than on the government in their vision of healthcare reform. Among other things, they wouldn't require employers to provide insurance, oppose a large Medicaid expansion sought by Democrats, seek tort reform and would allow insurance companies to sell policies across state lines.
There are areas of agreement between Republicans and Democrats, including the need to emphasize wellness and preventive health programs, providing more transparency for price and quality data on doctors and hospitals, and to speed approval of generic and less expensive versions of high-cost medicines, the Times said. Many Republicans indicated they would join Democrats in requiring insurers to let dependent children remain on parents' policies through age 25 or 26.
In a letter to the White House Monday, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said members of their party would be "reluctant to participate" in the meeting if the bills passed by the House and the Senate were the starting point. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., the ranking minority member of the Budget Committee, while welcoming the invitation, expressed concern that the meeting would become "an arena for political theater."
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Comments
obamain2012 (anonymous) says...
I have said this millions of times before.....The Republican Fat Cat Mud Slinging Hate Machine will never back healthcare as long as they are in the lining their pockets with money from the healthcare industry. The Republican Fat Cat Mud Slinging Hate Machine have a long and storied history of being against healthcare reform dating back to the days of Socrates...(j/k, but it has been a long time).
"they wouldn't require employers to provide insurance" that is because they don't care about average citizens who are unable to get insurance through their job or can't afford the plans that their works provide because they are part of the Fat Cat Special. Why would they care if employers offered the Fat Cat special to someone who is making minimum wage ($3/hr if it were up to them) and then have to pay deductables of $500 a shot, with $50 pcp visits, and $75 for generic drugs.
February 9, 2010 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tmmy99 (anonymous) says...
NO OBAMACARE!!!
REFORM YES!!
OBAMA"S POLICIES SUCK!!
FREE ILLEGAL ALIENCARE!!
MEDICARE CUTS 500 BILLION (SENIOR CITIZENS)
TAX ON WHEELCHAIRS& WALKERS & MEDICAL DEVISES!!
FEDERAL FUNDED ABORTIONS
NO CHOICES IN COVERAGE--MANDATED FINES IF U ELECT NOT TO ENROLL
STOP OBAMA!!! HIS POLICY"S SUCK---
REFORM YES---OBAMACARE NOWAY!!!
CLOSED DOOR NEGOTIATOR!! NO IMPUT FROM ANY BODY BUT HIS CHICAGO THUGS!!!! NO OBAMACARE!!!!!
February 9, 2010 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rune04 (anonymous) says...
Man, I wish you guys would calm down a little and contribute something worthwhile. Do either of you have a plan that you think would work? I would love to hear it.
February 9, 2010 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
STL_Cornhusker (anonymous) says...
At a minimum, at least the GOP is offering something rather than just complaining about what has been offered. Their plan may be no better, but at least they're contributing something. Obamain2012, do you REALLY believe that one party truly cares for people and the other hates them? Can't you see that extremism is a huge contributor to the problem and is not helping solve it?
February 9, 2010 at 12:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Towncar07 (anonymous) says...
Healthcare...has anyone tried freedom of choice? Have all the health companies submit many differing plans, there just might be one that you could afford and you can call your own procedures. Nah, too complicated, after all, the all-loving Government knows that they can lead us to the water, but the spigot turns off and on at their will...you may instead of getting healthy, get dead instead.
February 9, 2010 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tsquare (anonymous) says...
Rune04:
You've got obamain2012
We get tmmy99
Fair? Maybe not... but still...
February 9, 2010 at 3:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wchenry (anonymous) says...
america has always been under the control of the insurence companies, energy companies, food companies , drug companies and the banking industry. the way americans keep calling each other names and bad mouthing the president, these same gougers laugh all the way to the bank withh the money americans love to pay out to them
February 9, 2010 at 4:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Towncar07 (anonymous) says...
I may be old-fashioned, and I am older...but I don't for a second believe that America has been under the control of anyone except it's laws (good & bad) remember when the BIG STEEL companies raised their prices $6/ton...Kennedy pulled them to back down...and they did. Democrat/Republican/Independent the only ones that should have control of America is it's citizens. Make it happen.
February 9, 2010 at 8:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )