News reports suggest that President Donald Trump is planning to release a health care reform plan soon.
That’s good news. Republicans may have failed to pass reforms in 2017, but health care nonetheless remains a major concern for Americans. In fact, it was the No. 1 issue in last year’s midterm elections.
Since the failed reform effort in 2017, we’ve spent a lot of time working with colleagues across the country to develop a consensus proposal that could succeed where the previous effort fell short. It’s required some hard thinking about the lessons of previous efforts, as well as the failures of implementing Obamacare.
Here are 7 lessons we’ve learned that will serve policymakers well.
1. Have a proposal.
Health care remains a top priority for about 70% of Americans. They worry about being able to choose quality care and coverage, and fear that they or someone they love will lose the ability to see their doctor or use their insurance plan if they get sick.
The left is clear on its answer to these concerns: Double down on Obamacare’s failures. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.—along with 14 Senate co-sponsors and almost half of House Democrats—would replace Obamacare by outlawing our existing coverage and putting all of us on a new government-run plan.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s alternative? Throw more money at big insurance companies in order to paper over Obamacare’s underlying failures.
These are not solutions to Americans’ concerns. Rather, they deliver on many of their worst fears—including longer wait times for care and fewer options for it.
To counter the left, conservatives should explain both why liberals’ solutions won’t work and why their alternative is better. Without clear alternatives, conservatives risk handing victory to those campaigning for a single-payer plan.
2. Release a proposal with a clear vision, goals, and measurable outcomes.
Polling data strongly show that Americans think a healthy America is a strong America. They want a best-in-class health care system that lets them choosethe coverage that is best for them and their families, pay lower premiums, access private coverage over government-run health programs, and help vulnerable people get care.
Americans want to remove health care decision-making from Washington bureaucrats and insurance company executives, and give it to families, the states, small businesses, and nonprofits.
Any conservative plan must show it meets these criteria. It must put families and individuals in the driver’s seat, lower premium costs substantially, expand choices, do no harm on coverage levels, and help the vulnerable, including the poor, the sick, and those with pre-existing conditions.
The Health Care Choices Proposal—that we and scores of policy innovatorsacross the country support—would deliver on those goals. Research by The Heritage Foundation shows that Americans respond well to this vision. Here’s how likely they are to support these core policy ideas: […]
Read the full story from The Daily Signal
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