How Much “Free” Time do you have for a “Free” Market Health Care System?

I personally think Americans would gain more freedom if they never had to worry about health care again. Health care is off the table, not a worry, no family bankruptcies, no car wash fundraisers. We’ll have job mobility and expanded entrepreneurial experiences.

But that’s me.

If you’re a Republican, freedom means spinning your wheels shopping, comparing, negotiating with, paying into and buying health insurance ala carte. And what you’ll end up with is what insurance agents call “junk policies.” Sure you’ll have insurance and monthly premiums, but all you'll really have is a false sense of security and no real coverage. Remember, fundamental coverage and contractual small print will have been deregulated. You're on your own. 

If the legislative arm of the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, here’s what Republicans are hoping to have ready (they're seriously working on it now) to replace it:

Politico: Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), a physician, introduced a plan that allows Americans to deduct all of their health care costs; encourages the use of health savings accounts; converts Medicare to a “premium support” model that subsidizes private coverage; allows consumers to buy insurance across state lines; and encourages the use of association health plans, which allow groups of people or co-workers to buy health care together. Broun already has the backing of FreedomWorks, the conservative group led by Dick Armey.

The tea party likes it! It doesn’t sound too convoluted does it? Okay, maybe you’ll like these:

Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) an orthopedic surgeon would provide tax credits — on a sliding scale, based on income — to help Americans buy insurance premiums and extend a tax deduction to people who buy coverage on the individual market. The plan would also allow groups to pool together to buy health care, allow consumers to shop for insurance across state lines and enact a cap of $250,000 on noneconomic damages in patient injury suits. Price’s plan does not require insurance companies to accept all applicants. Price argues that his plan ensures everyone has access to coverage.

Another Republican bill — this one introduced by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) extends the current benefit (to keep kids on the family plan) through age 23 because Duffy believes “kids should lead independent lives at some point and that age would typically get them through college,”

Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), an osteopath, introduced a bill in March that essentially is a combination of the insurance industry reforms in the health law, including the option for young people to stay on their parents’ plans through age 26. It also includes the requirement that insurance companies accept everyone and bans insurers from dropping coverage and imposing lifetime caps … policy experts widely agree that insurance premiums would skyrocket without a way to encourage healthy people to buy an insurance plan.

To sum it up, Republicans don't really have a plan they can agree on, which means they've got NOTHING except a sketchy outline:

Most of them support enacting medical malpractice reform, expanding the use of health savings accounts and allowing consumers to buy insurance across state lines. There also appears to be wide support for allowing small businesses and individuals to pool their resources to buy coverage together.