David Brooks Shocker: 'There Is a Coherent Republican Plan' To Replace ObamaCare Once Repealed

A consistent media narrative as the GOP moves to repeal ObamaCare is that they have nothing to replace it with.

Surprisingly standing up to refute this nonsense Tuesday was New York Times columnist David Brooks who amazingly wrote, "Despite what you’ve read, there is a coherent Republican plan":

The case against Obamacare is pretty straightforward...The most commonly discussed perverse result is that millions of Americans will lose their current health insurance.

A report by the House Ways and Means Committee found that 71 of the Fortune 100 companies have an incentive to drop coverage... A Congressional Budget Office study this year estimated that 20 million could lose coverage under the law or perhaps 3 million could gain employer coverage. Or the number could be inside or outside the range. [...]

Moreover, there are alternatives. Despite what you’ve read, there is a coherent Republican plan. The best encapsulation of that approach is found in the National Affairs essay, “How to Replace Obamacare,” by James C. Capretta and Robert E. Moffit.

Imagine that. The Republicans have a plan.

Not what you hear or read from the mainstream media, is it?

Here are some of the highlights:

• "Instead of relying on the current tax exemption that hides costs, the Republican plans would offer people a tax credit for use to purchase the insurance plan that suits their needs."
• "Americans should be strongly encouraged to buy continuous coverage over their adulthood. Then insurance companies would not be permitted to jack up their premiums if a member of their family develops a costly condition."
• "[I]nstead of locking Medicaid recipients into a substandard system, the Republicans would welcome them into the same private insurance health markets as their fellow citizens. This would give them greater access to care, while reducing the incentives that encourage them to remain eligible for the program."
• "[R]eplace Medicare’s open-ended cost burden with a defined contribution structure. Beneficiaries could choose from a menu of approved plans. If they wanted a more expensive plan, they could pay for it on top of the fixed premium."
• "[A]ny new spending would be offset with cuts so that health care costs do not continue to devour more and more of the federal budget. This could be done, for example, by gradually raising the retirement age."

Keep this in mind the next time some liberal media member says Republicans have no plan to fix things after they repeal ObamaCare.

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— Noel Sheppard (@NoelSheppard) June 9, 2012