GOP Ready With Alternatives If ObamaCare's Repealed

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Investors Business Daily:

Republicans and Democrats alike are anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court's judgment regarding the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law, which is expected by June 25.

Democrats appear to be girding themselves for a loss by accusing Republicans of lacking an actionable plan for fixing America's health care system if ObamaCare is invalidated.

Journalists have bought the line. One described the GOP as "vulnerable to charges the party has no credible reform plan of its own," while another claimed that candidate Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans "still have nothing positive to say on health care."

But the facts do not support these claims.

In recent months, the GOP has coalesced around several specific ideas that, if enacted, would lead to affordable, accessible, quality care for all Americans.

Both Republicans and Democrats acknowledge that scrapping ObamaCare won't solve the nation's health care woes. Even if the law were repealed, health care spending would be on track to consume one-fifth of the U.S. economy, or $4.6 trillion, by 2020.

Today, by contrast, health care accounts for 17.9% of U.S. GDP, or $2.6 trillion.

Government is responsible for half of American health care spending. More than 20% of the federal budget goes toward public health care programs — and that share is rising.

With or without ObamaCare, public insurance programs are headed toward insolvency.

Medicare's main trust fund is set to go bankrupt by 2024, according to a report from the program's trustees. And the Congressional Budget Office just reported that the program will cost more than $1 trillion in 2022 absent changes.

If Congress overrides cuts in payments to doctors scheduled for 2013 — as it has every year for about a decade — then Medicare will go bankrupt even sooner.

The private health care market is no better off. Employer health costs are projected to rise nearly 10% this year. CBO estimates that 20 million people could lose employer-based coverage under ObamaCare.