The GOP's common sense approach to healthcare reform.

The dirty little truth is, we didn't need the government to take over one sixth of our economy to improve access to healthcare. We didn't need to be told what policies we could keep and which we couldn't. We didn't need lie compounded upon lie about how our premiums would decline or that we could keep our plan if we liked it. Period. Nope, we didn't need any of that to improve healthcare in America. Even to this day, the President keeps saying that if the GOP has any better ideas, he hasn't heard them. Another lie. He just doesn't want to hear them. When he was running for president in 2008, Mr. Obama admitted he "would probably go ahead with a single-payer (government only)system" if he was "designing a system from scratch." It's no surprise that he professes not to have heard any good ideas from Republicans.  But for those of you who think like the President, here are just a few ideas on how to improve healthcare that don't require a massive government intrusion.

1. Competition. You can buy your car and home insurance from an out-of-state insurance company, why not your healthcare insurance? Currently, that's illegal. But wouldn't it make sense to have competitors from 49 other states? Of course it would. This is basic stuff, people. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Remember, once the government runs healthcare completely, there is NO choice.

2. Teaching Hospitals & Clinics. 40 - 50 years ago, young doctors were given experience by working at hospitals and clinics. These clinics via teaching hospitals, gave free healthcare to those who didn't have insurance or couldn't afford the specific procedures. In return, those young physicians gained experience in treating patients. It was very cost effective. Need cataract surgery? No problem, we'll see you Thursday. But over-regulation has made these facilities non-feasible. Maybe it's time to take a giant step backwards.

3. Low premium/high deductible plans. If you're 23 years old, you don't need a plan with all the bells and whistles. You just require a catastrophic healthcare plan. Low premiums with a higher deductible are uncomplicated and affordable. This should be available to everyone. The government now dictates what plans are good enough for you and which ones aren't. Surprising that the party which touts a woman's "choice", doesn't want to offer you any.

4. Small business group plans. Allow small business groups to merge so that they can have access to plans with reduced premiums. Large pools with more healthy people in them keep costs down. Yeah, some things are just that simple.

5. Tort reform.  ObamaCare doesn't address Tort reform (frivolous lawsuits) at all. Who do you think actually pays for all those lawyers and big settlements? You, through higher and higher premiums. Would have been nice to take a look at this, don't you think? But virtually ALL Senators are lawyers, so...

6. Health Savings Accounts - Maybe you would prefer to keep all that money you might have spent on a healthcare plan. But you would still like to have money put aside for a medical emergency just in case. HSA's offer that. But ObamaCare drastically reduced the tax benefits and availabilities to HSA's. Again, your "choice" has been taken away from you. Nice, huh.

These are just a few common sense approaches to reforming healthcare in America. And we could still have portability and allow children to stay on their parent's policy to age 26 without the massive intrusion that is Obamacare. Those specific items could have been addressed. Instead they were the carrot designed to entice people. (Along with free birth control) Now those same people will feel the stick. Hope you enjoyed that carrot.