………that won’t be difficult since they have nothing to propose…….Republican governance at it’s most impressive

……you don’t actually get healthcare under this formula you get ACCESS to it…..of course the ACCESS depends entirely on your checkbook but otherwise it’s a lovely mirage

There are two problems here, however, that have to be addressed. First, the Federal Government would be riding roughshod over the states, all of which have their own sets of standards.

Secondly, this concept collides with the main way that HMOs and PPOs have attempted cost containment to date–local provider networks. For example, in Massachusetts where I live, Harvard-Pilgrim and Fallon are very good (though expensive) health plans–but all the doctors in their preferred provider networks are located in New England. How does that help someone in Texas or Ohio who wishes to purchase insurance. He can’t very well travel to New England every time he wants to see a doctor. Most advocates of a national insurance market (like McCain in 2008) don’t even seem to realize that this is a problem.

As for your other suggestions, let me repeat: ANYTHING that would require Government regulation, new Government taxes, new Government spending, new or expanded Government agencies, would be fiercely opposed by the GOP base.

Like universal coverage, such proposals from the national GOP would alienate the GOP base (which opposes ALL these measures) from their leadership, splitting the GOP at a critical time when GOP unity is proving to be an effective counter to a confused and divided Dem Party.

The GOP base (cf. RedState.com, for example) opposes removing bans on insuring pre-existing conditions. They oppose ANY minimum Government standards to be set on insurance policies. They oppose ANY kind of health insurance exchange that is Government-run.

I don’t believe that meaningful health care reform is feasible without some Government intrusions into the marketplace. But this is not the time to argue with the GOP base about that–not when the GOP is gaining so much by the infighting in the Dem Party. There will be plenty of time to argue about that later, when either one of two things happens:

1. The Dems actually have settled on a draft bill, which goes to the floor of the House and Senate where the GOP can visibly debate it.

2. The Dems fail to reach any kind of draft bill.

For now, the GOP leadership should stay silent on the whole issue.